What's New...
- The Solar City program has been launched! HRM is aiming to install 1000 solar hot water systems on residential properties by 2014 as a means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on foreign energy.
- HRM has installed solar collectors on 15 fire stations and community centres throughout the municipality. These collectors provide solar heated water or air, reducing traditional energy, costs and greenhouse gases.
- Working in partnership with the Nova Scotia Youth Conservation Corps to provide education on Lake Banook and Lake Micmac and their respective watershed areas.
- Developed a brochure on the Lake Banook and Lake Micmac watershed areas and what people can do to minimize their impact on these areas.
- HRM has received Milestone 5 recognition in the Partners for Climate Protection Program for its monitoring and reporting of corporate greenhouse gases! Read more about the PCP program.
About HRM Energy & Environment
HRM established the Energy & Environment office (formerly the Sustainable Environment Management Office, SEMO) to serve as the corporate lead for sustainability and environmental policy, strategy, reporting, and performance monitoring. The office takes an integrated systems approach to the environment, focusing on clean energy, air, water and land. The group also coordinates internal and external education and awareness programs. Examples of activities falling under the land, energy, air & water areas are given below.
Clean Energy
Energy Efficiency
Climate Change
Clean Air/Transportation
-
Clean Air Strategy – HRM produced a Clean Air Strategy to identify issues and possible approaches to deal with air quality issues in our municipality.
- HRM SmartTrip - promotes sustainable commuter choices for HRM employers and commuters
-
Active Transportation Trail Enhancement
-
Reduced Idling – HRM promotes reduced idling by all (see the campaign here) and enforces a corporate anti-idling policy
-
Bus Rapid Transit – HRM introduced Bus Rapid Transit ( MetroLink) in 2005. With enhanced comfort and direct, limited-stop service, the use of bio-fuels and increased ridership, MetroLink has helped take some vehicles off the road during the work week
- Green Vehicle Filter and Life Cycle evaluation template
Clean Water
Clean Land
-
Regional Plan – The Regional Plan started out as an environmental plan. This is quite significant because all the long-term policies to be established and implemented over the next 25 years – including those for water quality, open space, affordable housing, public transit, capital district, economic and others - are based on the Regional Plan and its environmental orientation. It is our over-riding policy document for HRM for the next 25 years.
-
Solid Waste Management - HRM’s Solid Waste Division, with the cooperation of our residents, businesses, corporations and industries, has achieved high and climbing waste diversion rates over the past several years. See here for further details about solid waste management in HRM.
-
Pesticide Use Reduction – Pesticide use has declined in residential areas and HRM Properties in recent years. This is due in part to sustainable landscape maintenance practices at both corporate and community levels, and to the success of the Pesticide By-law. Permit applications have fallen approximately ten-fold since 2003 to 440 in 2008, and complaints have fallen almost 20-fold in the same period. HRM’s effort has shifted from permitting and enforcement towards education and awareness. Click here for the 2008 overview report.
Other Energy & Environment Sustainability Initiatives 
Energy & Environment partners with the
Adventure Earth Centre on a number of
sustainability initiatives.
|
