 Good morning everybody. We're all good here. Yeah, everything looks great Okay, thanks. So it's Ben Finkelstein here from the Climate Action Secretariat. I've been with the Secretariat probably for about 10 years I've helped on the initial climate action plan from the previous liberal liberal government. I worked on the Climate Leadership Plan from the other liberal government from a few years ago And I've had the privilege to help work on clean BC and get it going here with the current government My current role is noted as partnerships with the Climate Action Secretariat But most of my experience has been gained from working with local governments And a project called the Climate Action Charter and I've worked quite closely with other ministries mostly municipal bearers in housing and most recently with energy mines and petroleum resources, so Long history at the Secretariat touched on a lot of different files Not Technically familiar with everything we do. So if folks have questions that I can't answer I'd be happy to Get back to people later regarding Specific things. So I'll get into it right now and Start talking to you about clean BC. So came out a year ago today, which is of note So I'm hopefully by now. I'm I'm hoping by now folks are familiar with it. I've taken a look at it it basically It's based on three pillars targets for 2030 We'll be showing some information on that it all lays it also lays out credible actions on how to get to those targets and with the sector by sector approach and that's mostly focusing on Transportation buildings and industry the other thing that's really important to keep in mind is that it's as much an economic development plan Is it a carbon or GHG reduction plan? And we're big fans of clean energy here and how to promote it does an economic development opportunity here in BC So what's in clean BC? So of course the targets, right? Also a whole notion of growing a prosperous low carbon economy Making these options more affordable for citizens or ensuring that they're affordable for the citizen of British Columbia Working as much as possible with indigenous communities as well as rural communities Creating opportunities for business and that's where we hope to learn from you guys and how best to do that and then Adapting or helping workers get the skills they need to participate in a clean economy So these are our targets Won't go into too much detail here on the numbers, but I think what's important here is you can see how we've got to bend this curve You can see where we are now around 16 2017 we go to the red star and you can see where we want to get to in 2030 and how we've broken it down between buildings and communities Transportation industry and then of course the remaining 25 percent, which we'll also speak to a little bit later on So of course most of this is going to happen with massive electrification across the key sectors again housing transportation in industry We know we're going to need additional electricity Because of the demand across the board for it. We work quite closely with hydro and determining how best we're going to meet that demand keeping it Cost-effective for industry and consumers We know that the amount we're going to need over time Is about an 8% increase so it's equivalent to all the electricity that the city of Vancouver uses and That our existing and plan projects will get us there and help us meet this But beyond 2040 and 2050 we're going to require substantial additional volumes of new clean electricity I should also add in there that Innovations in demand side management programs conservation energy efficiency also will play a very important role in us Meeting the target and making the best use of electricity So you can see here just a graphic of how that switch is going to occur and not really that slow We're almost at a place now where clean energy is going to start replacing Fossil fuel and again keeping in mind. This is across the board transportation housing industry So we're going to see lots of movement on electricity replacing fossil fuel and a lot of things that we're quite used to so the change is coming So transportation probably the biggest slice of the pie that we have to deal with Probably one of the more visible or exciting things that we work on here in the province is Something that we refer to the ZEV standard or the ZEV mandate and that basically over just about 20 years from now through regulatory legislation incentives and just the cost coming down is that ZEVs will be the you know the rule of the game, right? And that there will be no ice or internal combustion engines on the road So we've started with incentive programs For vehicles and people are probably aware of them We've also started to do a lot of work and you'll be seeing a lot more work in regards to charging infrastructure Essentially, you want to make it as easy as possible for people to purchase abs get used to driving them and Having access or dealing with range anxiety and having charging infrastructure Wherever we can put it in the other thing that's really important is the transition piece and probably even beyond is the whole notion of a Program called the low carbon fuel standard and that's essentially requiring that 20% of The gasoline that you would be running in your car or truck is made up of a renewable transportation field So it's a significant challenge The programs in place now we were slowly ramping it up But certainly I would think that'd be an economic opportunity not an easy one NBC to provide Renewable transportation fuels content to the fuel suppliers that are mandated to have it in their system We also work with the federal government in regards to increasing tailpipe emission standards for vehicles sold after 2025 so that's something that the federal government requires Vehicle manufacturers to ensure that their vehicles are as efficient as possible on that tailpipe emissions are as low as can be So improving where we live and work So this is the built environment in buildings. So which we heat majority now with natural gas and there'd be a shift In regards to how we're going to be doing that But also the two things that are important to keep in mind is the building code So new buildings that are going up now Most of the communities in BC are looking at something called the step code a number have adopted it and then also others are Starting to dance around the edges and trying to figure out how it would work in their communities. So that's essentially all new buildings homes multiple unit residential buildings Condominium tower so types of things are built to quite a stringent code. So essentially they need less Energy to heat them. So that's where electricity can come in Also, the equipment that does go in even today if it's a natural gas boiler The energy efficiency standards for those systems increase quite significantly over time Slowly wanting to face out natural gas and encouraging the use of heat pumps, which are electric There's a program called better homes and better buildings. I'll touch a bit on that but that's One of the lead pieces in clean BC to help with that switch I mentioned heat pumps That's a term that folks if they're not familiar with now will should both familiar with it There's a really big push to get them out there into homes make them more affordable and have them sort of the go-to piece as opposed to a Natural gas fired furnace Folks at Fortress are well aware of this and they're looking at a highly efficient natural gas heat pump that might be able to help with the transition But essentially electric heat pumps are something that we're quite keen on as part of our work to we Do work with public or social housing that's not shortage of that happening around the province It's a quite an ambitious piece of this government's agenda And we want to make sure that as these new buildings go up or even if they're retrofitted that they are as comfortable and energy efficiency energy efficient is possible And again, there's incentives available for those types of things funding available as well as keeping in mind the building code and the Increasing energy efficiency standards of equipment that goes into buildings Another important piece to keep in mind and this gets woven through a number of our initiatives is the 15% Renewable gas target huge challenge. So what what that means is that the natural gas that we use to heat our homes We want to get to a point where 15% of that is from renewables. So think of things like organic waste wood waste Land-filled gas capture those types of things. It's a huge challenge. We've done a lot of work to figure out where Renewables will come from and we know that we're coming up short. So we're looking for all sorts of innovative ways Across BC on how to fill that 15% gap final thing here under support for communities that I just wanted to touch on is I Work quite closely on some funding Programs are in place specifically for local government infrastructure and with clean BC We had something called a clean BC communities fund about 63 million dollars available for local governments first nations and other entities that manage your own public assets and We were looking for projects to invest or projects to steer Towards more GHG A Reduction outcome type of projects. So fuel switch Geothermal charging infrastructure heat recovery those types of things that we want to see Making up or what we want to see is when local governments getting into infrastructure building They're trying to be as innovative as green as possible Cleaner industry. So this is massive for us. I I would say almost half of CAS is involved in this sector and there's a couple of big things that are going on which really Are a significant component of of our of our targets and to the point where if we want to maintain Progress on our targets well also maintaining Economic development and making sure that our industries can compete internationally on a level playing ground There's a number of things that we have to keep in mind and that we have to support So one of the things that we work quite closely with with industry is how do we? Direct a portion of the carbon tax that they pay Back into their operations, but do it that it incentivizes cleaner operation So there's a number of programs here where we work quite closely with local governments to determine How best we can do that and I'll speak to that In a few slides later more specifically One of the big things as well on the transportation side is what we do about heavy-duty freight trucks which are really not that efficient and Far too many of them on the road. I heard recently that the Clark corridor and city of Vancouver When they track emissions not just GHGs, but pollution otherwise it's equivalent to what happens in the 401 in Toronto So lots of opportunity there to try and determine how best to lower emissions coming out of heavy-duty vehicles And there's a couple things that we're working on it in that space Of course methane the most evil her Yeah, probably one of the most evil Emissions that we have to deal with certainly result of upstream oil and gas operations We want to decrease that by 45 percent. So we work with industry and other ministries and various technologies and regulatory pieces that Requires them to lower their emissions by that huge hit and it kind of zeroes in but also Requires significant investment by industry to reduce their methane Of course the electricity piece is huge for industry it's you know common knowledge that we're quite Governments quite supportive of the LNG industry But in order for it to be clean and in order of it to be considered actual clean Export we have to do it as efficient and low carbon emitting as possible. So we work quite closely with hydro to provide Significant electricity infrastructure to natural production in the peace region and we're looking to to do more of that by Putting in new transmission lines. They're connecting existing lines in order for large industrial operations Not just LNG but mines and other ones as well Are being run off of electricity as opposed to natural gas or outwards diesel Some pretty exciting stuff happening in the area of carbon capture and storage People may be familiar with something called carbon engineering a real wonderful story coming out of Squamish and internationally Known that captures carbon through direct air capture highly expensive at this point not ready for market at all But it's pretty interesting to see that kind of stuff coming out of BC as well as Ensuring that the emerging field of carbon capture Underground is done within a relatively robust or a very robust regulatory framework So that's something that works on here and then again that The renewable gas commitment so where there is operations that are running on on natural gas as we work towards this transition That there is as high as a 15% Renewable gas content in those fuels Then we've just had a question come in about the industry if you have a second sure elaborate on your perspective in terms of the future of Metallurgical mining and other mining commodities in a low-carbon economy Natural resources are still required for the construction of renewable energy Infrastructure in the manufacturing of electric vehicles insulating homes, etc What's being done to work with the sector to support workforce development to meet future needs? Well, there's a lot in that question For I guess the two things with three things. I'll say one in regards to the coal piece I'm gonna have to get back to you on that, but that's a good question We do have a coal industry here. It is shipped overseas for other purposes So I'll get I'll get back to you on on that piece in regards to The life cycle costs of some of those things that is a very complex GHE accounting piece and You know not to be you know to be candid. It's like one thing at a time I think the the notion of life cycle costing is Very live topic certainly within local governments certainly in regards to some industries and I think that if we can get our head around how to do that best and how to get that Sort of into a into a place where we can actually trust the numbers And start using them within our targets, then we'll be okay, but right now That's a pretty new space if I Think the third piece was around training and readiness if I'm not mistaken That was three questions there and we'll get into a labor readiness piece in one moment but certainly Put that keep that question in mind and we'll try and get back to you with further information After the show So so back to the deck so Reduce emissions from waste so we know that there's quite a significant amount of Emissions and methane in particularly that comes out of landfills and We're working real hard with the large landfills to make sure that that 75% Capture rate is actually in place. We're pretty close to most most landfills I think there's a one remaining but essentially we want to capture The the remaining methane that's coming out of those landfills The 95% commitment around organic waste diversion. It's pretty significant too and that's diverting agriculture industrial municipal waste from the landfills, so There's an again a Pretty good economic Argument here in regards to one. How do we do it and then what do we do with those organics at the end of the day, right? There's sort of two prongs to this to this story One is that we've got to reduce our waste as much as possible if we consider the waste hierarchy so we want to make sure that What we are diverting those numbers go down, right? But at the end of the day, there's There's there's energy latent. There's there's Resources available within that waste and what do we do with that and how best do we manage it? And how do we build up the business case so that it can be used as an energy source? So that's where we get into things like the circular economy Also from waste and if we include forestry in that as well as residential we get into the space Around biofuels and how that works with the business cases for it What firms can be supported here in BC? How do we create more of a demand for it closer to the market those types of things? So the waste one is if anything in regards to a more rural economic opportunity, it would seem it would be In that area. So what does this all mean then? What will things look like in 2040? Most people if they have a car at all it's going to be a zero emission vehicle, right? part of the program too is that we also do Significant work in R&D how to improve How to get you know more mileage out of the existing cars how to get into electric trucks deliveries? People are talk about drones delivering things now you know, what sort of things can we do to improve the Transportation sector or help improve the electrification of the transportation sector and I wouldn't also include how do we get people out of cars and encourage more use of Public transportation active transportation those types of things We're going to see significant home energy efficiency improvements again back to that heat pumping and You know We know that we're going to need less energy to your homes So heat pumps become a little more attractive. They keep the temperature constants through the year. They cool Maybe not a big deal in the lower mainland, but in other parts of BC It's only going to get warmer and heat pumps can help with that also Retrofitting buildings through installation improvements. I think that's going to be a significant piece as well as all the appliances that we bring into our homes They're going to be far more efficient. I've mentioned the new construction and the step code Building code here, but the step code 3 is the ideal so that local governments So when they do put permits out any new buildings there are Sufficient as possible. We know we're challenged a bit on the existing building side Which is probably over 75% of buildings in BC and we're working on a code but even more importantly a mechanism on how best to Encourage retrofits in older buildings and that's what essentially clean BC better homes and better buildings is mostly about the homes part is residential the building is commercial but Those are programs that are pushing incentives out along with innovations in In homes and in buildings Encourage folks if they if they want to learn more about that So pretty good was two websites one and better homes and one and better buildings that will help direct To the incentives and how you can support your communities on that continued on on what this means is Certainly you can imagine the R&D work that's happening on industry They essentially are going to be big industries They are essentially going to have to meet a benchmark that that the province is working on right now in regards to what their emissions Can be they go over they're going to have to pay so that helps drive their R&D and work helps drives Excuse me there are D R&D work So they can better prepare for being meeting that benchmark being efficient or emitting as less as possible and essentially You know saving themselves money We know that we need to definitely increase our Ability to manage and provide infrastructure for recycling and waste This is sort of the circular economy conversation that I was referencing but In one of the pieces that I worked on over the years with local governments and other folks in the provinces How do we divert? Residential organic waste and so the bigger communities in the lower mainland and I know a number throughout other parts of BC Have regulations or bias in place that you know your banana peels don't go in the garbage. They go to they go to facilities the program is relatively successful, but now we've got communities with piles and piles of organics and They are they're hard to manage They smell people don't like them in their backyards and we've witnessed some pretty difficult Things that have happened in the lower mainland and even here in Victoria in regards to organic facilities So we have a program now that's in place that helps Those local governments create infrastructure whether it's a covered roof whether it's introduced in technologies If we're really lucky we get into that or up a digestion situation where organic waste Would waste agricultural waste can all be turned into energy and fed into the system for this is a big fan of that It's complicated It's a little bit expensive and managing waste flows. There's always a challenge So when I speak with my environmental protection folks in our ministry They make sure that the priority in all of this is basically just better recycling and better waste reduction So we're not in a situation where we have to deal with All this waste The other thing that's really important To consider here is the whole notion of our change in climate I'll speak to that a little bit later, but there's significant work happening right now with CAS If you guys aren't even aware of it I think engage BC's involved that to the development of a province-wide adaptation strategy There was a risk assessment that went out this summer that Laid out what BC can expect In regards to our future climate and what things we have to look out for and we've seen it already Everything from cold cold dry winters to wet wet wet springs to fires Droughts floods and so how best is BC especially local governments? Adapt respond and prepare for these types of things So with all this change and all these investments and all this plan we we are well aware that Not just creating new opportunities, but there's going to be shifts and so we're taking a quite A close look With our colleagues at other ministries jobs tourism as well as advanced education to get a better understanding of what type of trades Training would be required right how will construction industry have to shift in regards to building? Things a little differently adhering to the step code. What's what sort of? Scales does a bylaw officer in a local government require to make sure that buildings are going up properly? We're seeing now that a lot of electricians for instance are being called not just to residential But to commercial enterprises to install manage and even explain and sell what charging infrastructure looks like One of the things that there is concern over the coming years is What will a car mechanics be doing right now? How will their job shift when there's more electric vehicles on the road? So we're continuing to look at what labor market analysis trends and and and requirements will be down the road and I think Right now the work that's happening. I'm not sure if it's close, but there was work happening around a workforce readiness plan there was engagement Across across the province in regards to what people were thinking about what they were considering what sort of supports they needed What type of mid career? I Scales are required for workers that may be losing their jobs or may be shifting So that's definitely a piece that's alive with the secretariat in the province and how best to adjust to a changing economy We've done a lot of work over the years with communities It's been part of my job, but when we've gone through different iterations of the plan most recently clean BC We work quite closely and we received quite significant input From local governments and what they wanted to see In the plan, you know, whether there was online discussions if their emails we even had a couple of Telephone town halls with our minister, which was really exciting to see we had put intentions papers out So people could reflect and comment on the various ideas and currently right now. There's a UBCM special committee on climate action that Cassets on municipal comparison housing, but local government and a few other sectors sit on and I think local governments as you've probably witnessed with All these declarations climate emergency declarations. They're well placed And they're quite involved in in clean BC thinking right now and they're trying to figure out how best They can bring their regulatory financial and constituents to the table to help with clean BC Some of the input that we heard from local governments as well As across BC and that we are acting on now, of course, people wanted to see a zeb mandate. So That's coming into place right now Where you know, we talk about no combustion engines by 2040, but that's going to happen Be, you know, because not just incentives and the cost of vehicles coming down but governments going to start, you know, turning up the dial in regards to Automobile manufacturers and the number of vehicles the number of electric vehicles that they have to have on the car lots in BC There's some pretty interesting stuff happening around active transportation Which also includes transit funding and improvements If you're in the lower mainland, you know the challenges and the complexities and the funding requirements for getting around with public transportation It works when it's great and And if it works more people want to do it. So the pressures are quite significant some other communities including the lower mainland But also here in the island and the interior Are working on active transportation strategies and building up their bicycle infrastructure not without its controversy, but I think we're going from You know cycling infrastructure from being a recreation attribute to being something that people do to get around it to commute with We also heard again around the step code people wanted it and we're We're implementing it same with home energy incentives upgrading public housing infrastructure funding that's a clean BC fund and Also things like the low carbon building innovations program where the folks that are running better homes and better buildings have provided dollars To bring really innovative type of things to market. So It might not seem super innovative but things like insulation windows types of concrete You know flooring Different type of technologies that are if they're introduced into the building sector can make quite a significant Difference in regards to making homes more comfortable, but also more energy efficient and these are things that we're looking at and investing in So some of the upcoming work I'm getting to a place now. I'm starting to repeat myself, but Continued work on the fuel standards and that renewable supply Working close with clean corridor piece and ports and heavy-duty vehicles and how best to to crack that net Continued work on the renewable natural gas initiative. We're just about to roll out the first phase of The clean BC communities fund is sixty two million dollars. We're hoping for at least another two or three phases It's in partnership with the federal government as we know are quite keen on climate and infrastructure and we're more than happy to Match their dollars or more There's an interesting program again on the clean corridor piece, but as your mission vehicle freight trucks What we're looking at providing to ports about ten or so Loaner semis some are LNG some are hydrogen some will be electric vehicles Some will be compressed natural gas just to sort of start introducing these type of vehicles into the heavy-duty vehicle market so that The owners and drivers become more comfortable with new technologies whether it's the transition one around LNG or whether it's the really new approaches to EV and Hydrogen keeping in mind that getting a hold of these vehicles is increasingly Difficult because as soon as they're manufactured or or put out to the market Places like California gallblom up. So a huge demand for Low-carbon heavy-duty vehicles we're starting to look at things like Building energy labeling and reporting. So that's the whole notion of of You know like your residents are a building giving it Basically a grade or a performance level so folks are well aware with the energy consumption of this a building and then trying to Establish a benchmark for similar buildings and then having large buildings report on it. So it's kind of a competitive piece, but it's mostly software conundrum that has to be applied and it's already happening in the lower mainland where energy use for large Large buildings becomes normal and Essential buildings start competing against each other on regards to who can be the most energy efficient I've touched on the organic diversion and landfill gas capture. Also, there's work Significant work happening in remote communities. We know there's I think about 19 or so communities that are currently on diesel Which is not good. So there's different types of work. And how do we bring in hydro to those communities? How do we create micro hydro for those communities? So they become energy independent or how do we look at different technologies and to get them off diesel very high emitting So so far send me a progress. We've got about 45 actions underway three are complete And this have legislations in place. The is an example of the transmission lines Up and up in the peace area We've got the climate risk assessment that came out this summer That'll help prepare for our adaptation plan And then we've done some pretty significant engagement Not just on climate ready BC or adaptation, but we're doing it on job readiness and we're also involved with the with indigenous Engagement across BC We've done some work on that already some more coming up in January and I believe there'll be a slight coming up on that So this gives you Kind of an overarching view of how we're going to get to our 2030 target you can see who makes up big pieces of the pie industry Pricing is going to help waste is known to buildings and communities transportation Where we're going to get our megatents from but we know we got a little over six megatents to go and we kind of call that the 25% conversation and there's a number of things that we're working on right now and Working with our tertiary board working with the center working with other ministries on how best to To deal with that remaining gap so this is actually a pretty important slide to take a look at and this is You know next year is going to be a big a big year for CAS because of the strategy adaptation Get ready cleaner. I'm not even sure what acronym we're using now But it's basically an adaptation resilience plan for the province. We know things are changing We know we have to adapt even with all the different mitigation investments and efforts that That we're working on we definitely have to start thinking ahead about how things are going to change Climate ready BC preparing together. That's the thing There's an online public engagement site went up about a month or so ago. It's a pretty interesting read Even if you don't Engage and provide comments or anything. I think to be able to drop into that site It gives you a pretty good idea in regards to what we have to do in BC To prepare for the future. So it's everything about dealing with infrastructure dealing with heat dealing with Health issues that might be affected by extremes in weather air quality those types of things a pretty large topic to get your head around and I think that's going to be a Challenge but very exciting time for CAS to wrap that all up into a strategy working with various sectors Local government industry in the public First Nations This is our indigenous engagement plan. You can see the stuff that we've done over the spring and summer Who we worked with? From communities to to youth as well as the elders and one-on-one meetings with organizations That stuff continues To date and there's folks at CAS actually in the section I work in Who's essentially full-time role is engaging with them in indigenous communities across BC and supporting them on their ambitions around Climate mitigation and adaptation planning So where the opportunities for collaboration Certainly as I've noted the personal commercial will fleets and how best do we work within that space to reduce their footprint Active transportation strategy. It's a big deal for local governments And it also helps support the whole notion of clean compact energy efficient communities and how best We can get out of cars And get around in our communities in a more friendlier friendlier low carbon low carbon way Certainly on the buildings front. I've talked enough about that Just trying to get to the end of my slide so I can start taking questions As I noticed waste is a pretty big deal. How do how do we reduce it? That's number one And then what's left? How we how do we turn it into a resource? As I mentioned, I think it'd be really good for folks to pay attention to The adaptation work we're doing and how to engage on that and then of course there's a 25% so I think Probably even less now probably over the next six or eight months We've we've developed and we've gone forward with What asks to other ministries as well as to the center and our finance folks in regards to if we want to get to the 25% Here's the things that we have to do. We need to make investments in new technology breakthroughs and we need to bring those breakthroughs I Guess to the table so they can be implemented and start producing measurable GHG incomes. Sorry GHG outcomes Something we had put together. I think early in the year. It's available online But we have a bit of a guide for what sort of financial resources are available This was specific for local government So we did for UBCM, but we wanted to let folks know that there are resources out there for both commercial and residential elements of clean BC also We're hoping to recapitalize it but the Innovative clean energy ice fund folks might be familiar with that But that's run out of energy mines petroleum resources and that is essentially a fund that Will support breakthrough type technologies that aren't quite ready for implementation But it helps drive and nourishes the clean economy in BC Okay, so I think at this point I'll just stop talking and take a breath and as long as people don't ask me too difficult questions that I can't answer I'm happy to spend the next 20 minutes or so with a bit of an open discussion I believe to one of my colleagues. Hopefully is online Chris Gilmour I'm not sure if he's still there We can unmute him and he can help answer some of these questions as well So I turn it back to you Jessica Thank you so much for that Ben. We have had a number of questions that have come in throughout your your Presentation so maybe start with that and if there's anyone that would like to verbally ask a question if you want to use that raise your hand Icon on your control panel. We'll get to those questions After we get some that have come into the session So there's a couple that have come in around the zero emission vehicles So is there any plan to take into account northern communities where electric vehicles are not practical given extreme climates and Distance that need to be traveled Okay, two things I can tell you right now. We've done all kinds of work Ampers done work and and the industry's done work in regards to electric vehicles in northern Markholder communities And well, we've learned it's not as bad as we think for sure. So Part of the narrative is that who we need to adjust this electric vehicles do work up north, okay? In colder weather one to totally get the charging infrastructure piece. So we have on the table now a number of pretty ambitious charging network Initiatives that we're hoping we can fund certainly in The Okanagan and the Kootenays on the island as well as north west BC And we know that as we move through those pieces, we're going to be looking to the northeast to develop and invest in in charging infrastructure in those areas and kind of in the same line One of our participants thought that a lot of the suggestions in city-centered What are their spit? What is their specific strategies around rural communities? Okay, sure. So I can touch on there was the clean BC communities fund We're pretty close now to pulling the trigger a number of projects. They are across BC and You know just as a just an anecdote I can say that probably the three best projects one was of course Something in the lower mainland highly technical and innovative But the other two were First Nations and and rural community type projects. So we're we're seeing that when rule BC puts their hand up and when we're able to support them on applications and bringing in new technologies that They're hungry for it. They bring resources to the table and we're seeing they're bringing capacities to the table So, you know, we're quite excited by that We want to do engagement later in the spring and then in the early summer Well, we can get out to rule BC and speak to them about exactly what funding is available and what sort of things we can do So that they feel engaged in part of clean BC Great. Another question just came around Recycling with the increased amount of recycling that's going to be happening How are we going to ensure that these items are actually recycled properly in British Columbia? Okay, that is a great question and it's a tough one. I you know to be honest I think a lot of people at the residential and commercial and even industrial level think that their stuff just magically gets Recycled and turned into products and it doesn't a big part of that is going to lie within the relationship that the province has with local governments and Our our ability and local governments ability to build capacity around bylaw enforcement So there'll be a combination of a compliance piece so that local government staff feel emboldened to Regulate the amount of waste that they have to deal with and to is that local governments can have to provide I guess room within the Environmental Management Act, but probably more importantly Infrastructure or guide the infrastructure daughter set are available into things like compost facilities Transfers stations as well as encouraging things like they do in Syria regarding trying to close the loop It's it's a challenge But but there they're trying to to manage their organics turning it into RNG to feed their Their waste hauling vehicles so pretty innovative not without its challenges, but whatever the government can do to support that whether it's incentives or Better use of regulatory tools and then of course the local government bylaw and compliance capacity But then I sorry and the other thing I need you know to add to that as a whole notion of consumer waste use of plastics You know, I think at the end of the day You know it might seem like a small thing and and a little controversy or whether banning plastic bags or Or banning straws and those types of things But I think we need to see and I think government is trying not again, not without its challenges To begin looking much more closer at those things or so plastic intentions paper that went out a few months and it starts to signal what we're going to have to do in regards to the amount of waste that communities generate and Is any plans for steps be taken in terms of supermarket waste similar to what's being done in Europe You know, that's another good question I know that there's discussions at the again with the local government level in regards to how they manage organic and food waste in the restaurant community and how they're beginning to to deal they're certainly separating the organics that that Are coming from residents as well as excuse me as well as grocery stores What what needs to be done is just reduce that outsource, right? So I Think that there's a program in place called Love food hate waste that came out of the UK and we're just starting to implement that type of thinking around here And I and I even though it's like a behavior change social marketing piece When we look at when we look at it from a GHG reduction And like if you can indeed model that and have consumers pick up on that in regards to how their behavior changed their reductions are significant So I think we'll see more push on those types of behavior change type of activities and which will thus change behaviors in supermarkets and that and how they deal with Things like best best buy dates or Making sure that they're not wasting this as much as they do Fantastic a question that came in early on in in the session was just Can Can we expect additional support from BC hydro for homeowners to install solar panels and the development of resilient micro grids? Yes, I think I have to think this went through for a second, but I know that If I look at clean BC and I look at some of the programs that both for this and BC hydro have Depending on who it is they'll support it right I don't think they're going to do it the residential if it's a remote community I think it might be something they're interested in but keep in mind at this point Hydro has significant amounts of electricity You know we talk about we're going to need a lot more and that that day is coming for sure But right now BC Hydro's Electricity supplies are more than enough to get us over the next few years. So there's caution in regards to them Essentially creating A supply coming from elsewhere right so that's what we're seeing with some of the EPA is where this energy persons agreements that were signed And I think they need to slow down a bit on that and rethink that there's a curtain There's an existing BC hydro review in place now that's looking at those types of things. So The simple question for that is if it's a remote community hydro will probably be interested in supporting it But if it's gonna if you're just switching from Great electricity to solar electricity hydro is not going to support that Following up just on kind of solar panels the city a city in the Kootenays recently installed solar panels in City Hall The estimated payback time is about 38 years not including panel and battery replacement When will the economic economics of these systems make more economic sense? I'm not sure if you'd be able to answer that but that was a question that came in Right, I guess it depends what community that is but again, you know if they're going from Heating the building was solar From heating it with natural gas It would probably be a lot quicker than 38 years because of the price of natural gas is not going to go down If anything, it's going to go up. So that's a turkey business case piece there My understanding is that solar and battery technology prices have come down to make it a little More attractive. So I would have to know more about that specific case what community it was what sort of investment they made But happy to discuss more of that offline and to try to figure out how best to Come up with an answer to that question We can share the the information with the person that asks that with you after the session Sure Does clean PZ offer any training or recommendations on the circular economy or can you recommend if you don't offer them yourself? Not yet. I know that there's going to be What we call like an intentions paper where we come out saying like here's what we here's what we think Or here's what the province means by a circular economy These are the types of things that we we have to start thinking about and the skills that we may need And then there'll be an opportunity to engage on that But I do know that there's a there's a pretty interesting cohort of government local government industry folks that Meet and are doing some pilot work around the circular economy If whoever asked that question we can get back to them about what that group is And I'm sure we could plug them into some of the work that's happening around that and some of this The resources that are available that are BC specific. I'm related to the circular economy. It's something we're really interested in It's a complex space We're not as dense as other jurisdictions that have embraced circular economy on our carbon pricing Doesn't push elements of the circular economy as much as it's happening in Europe But it's definitely something that's on the radar here and happy to discuss further Offline once I'm able to plug you into that group One suggestion that came in was is there any opportunities for short sea Short sea shipping and addressing cleaner freight one barge is 6200 truckloads depending on the goods being shipped was there a focus for provincial and transport Canada and There what this was a previously a focus for provincial and transport Canada in the mid-2000s Is there any plan to connect this with the climate action strategies? Okay, if stop me if I am answering the question the wrong way I think I understand the question but but I do know that there's work happening essentially driven by the LNG industry on bunkering fuel For For ships and I know that Fortis has done some work in the lower mainland making that available to try and get those ships off of Bunker or like bad diesel fuel and get them on to LNG So that's one thing. I also know that the province and his work with ferries to improve their ability to provide hybrid LNG diesel Ferries as well. I know that Who I can't not remember cannot recall the name but the Not BC ferries, but the folks that do all the freight back and forth the mainland of the island are Making some huge advancements in regards to electric ferries and our and their ships now are are being built or being retrofit to hold batteries To encourage on that we we meet with ferries. We meet with industry. There's a clean corridor group That we've had conversations with and we track the work of rails and ferries and In our ports in regards to how best they can fit into clean BC I think that might have been what your what the question was But if not to be happy to try and address it Again, I understood what the question was Great, we probably just have time for a few more questions One of that came in is how can rural communities promote the economic opportunities that all arise from clean BC to their local industry and businesses? Are there resources available that can be shared with those groups by local governments? I Believe there's a there is a small resource piece that we that that cast data in regard It's similar to the local government piece and I would probably Whether the slides are available or we can send it out afterwards is what sort of funding Opportunities are available. There are what I what I can say is that there are some interesting things happening in the lower mainland like for instance There's something called Zabax which is a zero building center of excellence And I know that they're keen to provide information to to rural communities whether it's your Chamber of Commerce's or local governments or Local economic development associations But what we're what we're seeing in the lower mainland that we would like to see in rural BC Is that the trades coming together and saying yeah, we get clean BC we get all the things that? We need to do it to lower emissions and adapt to a change in climate but we need Either like a clearinghouse or advice or best practices. So those types of things are coming They're just emerging in the in the more dense areas and and and as part of that Cass and other ministries Are working and other local governments are working on how better to share that in in rural BC? I think we've kind of ran out of time for questions I'm just was wondering if before we go Ben you were able to share a ton of information about clean BC is there three kind of main things that you could share with the audience that they could take away or some actions that they should take in the next couple of days to learn more or get get ready to implement or benefit from the program Okay, sure, so Honestly, I'd say one eat less meat but but secondly, I would say That's go online and take a look at the adaptation Resilience engagement conversation. So I think that's really really important Not just, you know from an adaptation perspective But there's there will also be a shift in in what sort of economic opportunities will be available or a shift in in those Types of opportunities and and it's a good opportunity from an economic development perspective to get Your comments and your voice heard on that the other thing too although it's closed you may want to take a look at the labor readiness strategy and become familiar with some of the The work that they were considering in regards to working with the trades working with Technical institutions working with local governments on how to better prepare the labor force for For for clean BC and there's there'll be more of that coming And I think it's important for certainly the economic development side of folks to pay attention to it so those would those would be the three for now and You've shared some resources online if people have specific questions. How can they follow up to get answers? We're going to share the questions that we weren't able to get to today that were asked through the webinar But how can people reach out and get get get help with questions? Sure, I'll just go to that left. So there is my email address I'm happy to receive email I'll probably turn to some support of other folks and cast and other ministries so it might take a while to get back to you but You know the final thing I'll say is that that in all my time working at the secretariat I've never seen other ministries. Of course Energy minus storm resources has always been alongside of us, but we're seeing transportation municipal affairs and housing the economic development ministry Forstery really playing a significant role and and taking leadership pieces to this So expertise is a cross-government and so any questions you have I have a pretty good idea of where I can go to get the answer far better than what I've been able to provide in the short time We've had here Fantastic, well, thank you so much for taking the time to walk everyone through this and it was a bit of a Lot of questions coming at you from a lot of different perspectives of those on a lot of different Thank you so much for sharing what you have Okay, and a pleasure Yeah, that was that was fantastic After this webinar, I just want to let everybody know that this will be recorded as well as the slides that were shared by Ben and That'll be in about a week once we were able to get it posted So if you want to go back and have a look or share it with anyone else that that will be posted a survey is going to come Out after this webinar It's really great if people can take the time to fill it out just so that we know for future webinar and what topics people are Interested in what worked well, and if if there's any specific area that you want to learn for your academic development in your community and That's that's all that we have for you today thanks to Ben again and the climate action secretariat for sharing this information with our group and Thank you for taking the time to participate in our webinar if you have suggestions like I said Put them into that survey and we'll try to incorporate them for 2020 Thank you again, Ben, and I'm gonna I'm gonna close off for today. Okay. Thanks