Funding for fighting climate change, along with a set of priorities to guide the effort through 2019, has been approved by Victoria council.
The money includes $369,700 from the Climate Action Reserve Fund and $223,000 for two positions funded from new assessed-tax revenues, said Mayor Lisa Helps.
The newly created positions will be filled by people with expertise in implementing climate-change efforts.
Helps said the year’s anti-climate change measures include a building-retrofit program, an oil-heat elimination project, the Bike Master Plan and transit improvements.
Other approaches include reducing emissions from city vehicles and mandating electric-vehicle charging stations in new construction, said Coun. Ben Isitt.
Coun. Geoff Young said care is needed in how action is taken.
“My only concern was spending more money and increasing staff to address an issue where our policy tools are very limited.” he said.
Helps said climate change has become an important subject for people.
“We’re starting to see a galvanizing community effort around this issue,” she said. “We don’t need to convince anyone anymore that climate change is an issue.
“The city has a real leadership role to play. People need to retrofit their homes, retrofit their heating systems.”
Helps said both individuals and businesses have a role to play.
