2025 Climate Report Card highlights significant progress towards targets

Information Bulletin
For immediate release 

Saanich, BC – The District of Saanich marks a significant climate action milestone in the 2025 Climate Plan Report Card. This is the sixth Climate Report Card published by the District since making a commitment to annual progress reporting in the 2020 Climate Plan.

Progress towards targets

The latest Saanich Climate Plan Report Card shows that the District has achieved a 47% reduction in corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for 2025 compared to the 2007 baseline – notably close to the 50% target. This target was set five years ahead of the 50% community emissions reduction target to demonstrate the District’s commitment to leading by example.

The decrease in emissions is primarily attributed to the completion of major building and electrification upgrades, including those completed at Cedar Hill Recreation Centre and G.R. Pearkes, and improvements made to the District’s fleet, including route optimization of Saanich refuse trucks, continued adoption of electric vehicles, and increased use of renewable diesel.

Additionally, while the District has less direct control over community-wide emissions, progress continues to be achieved. The latest community-wide GHG inventory from 2024 shows that while emissions held steady between 2023 and 2024 (with an 18% reduction compared to the 2007 baseline), this decrease was realized during a period of community growth, making the 29% decrease in per capita emissions even more substantial.

Progress is not linear, and staff expect to continue to see emission reductions in the coming years based upon the many actions implemented since the adoption of the 2020 Climate Plan.

Climate Plan update & public engagement

With many of the 2020 Climate Plan actions now achieved, ongoing or on track and considerable changes over the last five years since the plan was adopted, including an increase in climate induced extreme weather events, an update to the Climate Plan is underway. 

The Draft 2026 Climate Plan is currently out for public engagement and identifies the actions needed over the next five years to increase our resiliency to current and future climate changes and to help achieve our 2030 and 2050 emission reduction targets. The 2026 Climate Plan is expected to be presented to Council in July of this year. To provide your feedback, please visit saanich.ca/climateplansurvey.

Saanich will continue to work towards its climate goals and targets, both in District operations and in the community. Our collective success requires action from everyone including senior levels of government, businesses, non-profit and community organizations, institutions, and residents, working in collaboration together.

Learn more

Please visit saanich.ca/climateplan to learn more about the actions the District is taking to achieve the goals set out in the 2020 Climate Plan.

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Media contact:
Saanich Communications
media@saanich.ca