Metro-Vancouver Eyes Gas Powered Equipment Ban

By WCTA Staff

Metro Vancouver is considering actions on promoting region-wide replacement of gasoline and diesel landscaping equipment with zero-emission options. 

AKA Greater Vancouver, the federation of 21 municipalities, one Electoral Area and one Treaty First Nation that plans for and delivers regional-scale services, is currently collecting public feedback to understand benefits, barriers and challenges that lawn & garden and landscaping operators might face throughout the process of mandating a change from gas powered equipment to electric.

Marina Richter, Senior Policy Analyst, Air Quality and Climate Change stated, “We are very interested to learn how regional operators and their professional associations view this initiative, as well as in establishing connections with the regional and provincial partner agencies.”

Link to the Metro-Vancouver ‘Electrification of Small Non-Road Engines’ summary page:
https://metrovancouver.civilspace.io/en/projects/electrification-of-small-non-road-engines

The BC Landscape Nursery Association (BCLNA) has created a small task force that is looking at the gas-powered equipment ban proposed for Vancouver and is connecting with a variety of industries and associations, including the WCTA, that may be impacted by this motion.

A late February brief from Landscape Chair, Chris Draaistra stated, “We meet frequently and are at the information gathering stage as we do our best to create a response to the City of Vancouver that will set a template for how best to respond to other municipalities as they come on board with that as well in future years.” 

The survey is formally open until the end of July 2023 but Metro-Vancouver said they will start looking at the preliminary results in March 2023.
https://metrovancouver.civilspace.io/en/projects/electrification-of-small-non-road-engines  

Any written feedback not fitted to the survey format could be sent to AQBylaw@metrovancouver.org.  

The WCTA encourages its member stakeholders to participate in the survey and has added this to the agenda of the first meeting of the new Board of Directors scheduled for March 30.