Recent national conference offers insight into community-based approaches to sustainability

Sackville's deputy mayor says he has gained greater insight into sustainability options that could be developed for the community following a recent trip to Ottawa.

Bob Berry, who attended the FCM Sustainable Communities Conference last month in the Canadian capital with Sustainable Sackville coordinator Tracey Wade, said the event offered a wealth of information on a number of issues - from energy planning and stormwater management to community-based social marketing and the implementation of a sustainability plan.

"A lot of the stuff we gained at this conference was really useful," said Berry during council's monthly meeting on March 8.

Berry said he and Wade were both impressed with the variety of interactive workshops and keynote speakers at the conference and "tried to cover as much ground as we could" during the three-day sessions.

He said he was particularly impressed with a session directed by Lester Brown, founder and president of the Earth Policy Institute.

"He was one of the best speakers I've ever listened to. He was so enlightening on sustainability and where we should be and what we should be doing."

Wade, in her written report to council, noted that Brown estimated that sea level will rise by approximately six feet this century even if the world becomes CO2 neutral by 2020. (Even a three-foot rise in sea level would inundate most rice paddies in Asia, he said.)

Wade stated that Brown's presentation focused on how the mountain glaciers are also melting at alarming rates - these glacial melt waters sustain rivers and billions of people in Asia. Loss of these glaciers would result in massive impacts on world rice and wheat production and would likely create a world-wide food shortage.

Also presenting was Toronto Mayor David Miller, who expressed that "the best environmental policies are also good for the economy," and he noted that his city is developing partnerships with large businesses and providing grants to residents and small businesses, allowing renewable energy sourcing as a right without rezoning requirements, wrote Wade.

As well, Green Architect's Avi Friedman spoke about how the main barrier to taking action on environmental issues is not money "but the decisive commitment to make change."

Former IBM executive Bob Willard was also on hand for the conference, said Wade, and he talked about the business case for becoming sustainable, which leads to positive economic, social and environmental results.

Berry said he particularly appreciated the workshops that were based on "practical approaches to sustainable planning," where community leaders from across the country discussed how to best move forward.

Community leadership and partnerships with stakeholder groups are essential, and buy-in from council and municipal administration is key to success, they learned.

Berry said he thinks the community is on the right track in its approach to sustainability planning and insisted it's an essential part of future development.

"I think this plan is going in the right direction and we need to continue doing what we're doing," he said.