2026

Whereas in 2019, the federal Oil Tanker Moratorium Act was implemented, banning large oil tankers from carrying crude oil and persistent oils along BCs ecologically sensitive North Coast; And whereas the federal government has revisited discussions around reopening the Northern Gateway pipeline and tanker project, which would imperil salmon, orcas, herring, halibut, clean water, healthy beaches and a coastal economy built on tourism and sustainable seafood: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the provincial and federal government to maintain their support for the North Coast tanker b

Whereas community food recovery programs have organized to collect food that would otherwise go to the landfill from grocery chains, fast food establishments, and locally owned food businesses along the procurement, processing, and distribution chain; And whereas the costs of diverting organic and recyclable items from for-profit businesses from mainstream landfill sites is being shouldered by non-profits, thereby adversely burdening food recovery programs who addressing food security and improving food access to vulnerable community members: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the

Whereas climate change is a leading driver of increased infrastructure costs at the local government level, affecting the management of roads, buildings, retaining walls, above-ground and underground utilities, and other assets; and whereas the products produced and sold by fossil fuel companies have been proven repeatedly to be the principal cause of anthropocentric climate change; And whereas fossil fuel companies have knowingly mislead the public and undermined support for climate action, in order to continue the production, sale, and marketing of harmful products, despite possessing an

Whereas the Government of British Columbia commissioned an independent review of CleanBC to assess its effectiveness and identify actions needed to meet provincial greenhouse gas emission reduction targets; And whereas the final report of the independent CleanBC review concludes that British Columbia is not on track to meet its 2030 climate targets; And whereas the review recommends establishing a Citizens Assembly on Building a Sustainable Economy in British Columbia to help build public understanding and consensus on the actions required to achieve these targets; And whereas the review

Whereas climate change is a leading driver of increased costs and disruptions at the local government level that requires action from all levels of government, and that GHG emissions from the built environment often constitute a high percentage of the total emissions in local government jurisdictions; And whereas local governments except Vancouver, under its Charter currently lack authority to regulate the emissions from existing buildings, and in many cases have struggled to reduce emissions from the built environment and meet their own emissions reduction targets: Therefore be it resolv

Whereas current air quality monitoring and enforcement in BC is based on guidelines for the general adult populations and do not adequately protect the health of significant demographics including children, seniors, and pregnant people; And whereas monitoring and enforcement are inadequate for meeting air quality guidelines, are not always publicly transparent, are not always available to the authorities with shared responsibility for community wellbeing, and are based on guidelines that are inherently subjective: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Province to: - ensure monitoring

Whereas current mosquito control methods by local governments in British Columbia rely on costly helicopter and ground applications of federally approved larvicides to improve quality of life for its residents; And whereas Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems RPAS offer a cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and efficient alternative for aerial larvicide application; And whereas British Columbia currently lacks a provincial certification process for RPAS in pest management, thereby preventing local governments from adopting this technology: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the P

Whereas ongoing illegal fill dumping on Agricultural Land Reserve ALR lands in British Columbia violates the Agricultural Land Commission Act and local government bylaws, exacerbated by insufficient Agricultural Land Commission ALC enforcement resources, frequent disregard of stop work orders, and the lengthy, costly court process for fine collection; And whereas violators often lack resources for court-ordered remediation post-fines, causing lasting environmental damage, while other agencies including WorkSafeBC and the BC Conservation Officer Service effectively utilize equipment seizure

Whereas the regulatory framework governing soil relocation under the Environmental Management Act and Contaminated Sites Regulation is designed and implemented to ensure protection of both human and environmental health, the required soil testing, storing, and relocation results in significant increased costs of soil management for local governments; And whereas the Ministry of Environment requires soil relocation to meet provincial remediation standards at a receiving site location that includes a threshold for chloride ion of 100 ppm to qualify as Residential Low Density which does not a

Whereas some farmers are applying biosolids on agricultural land which may contain contaminants of emerging concern, such as pharmaceuticals and forever chemicals; And whereas the application of biosolids may leach into watercourses and aquifers and negatively affect ecosystems, as well as crops, livestock and humans: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the Province of BC to mandate water quality testing of water sources that may be affected by biosolids.