Nanaimo-Ladysmith school district has cut carbon emissions over the past year, but provincial targets may be out of reach.
According to a strategic directions committee staff report June 11, Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools produced 3,689 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2024, as opposed to 3,872 in 2023 – a decrease of 4.7 per cent in emissions. As was the case last year, buildings accounted for a majority of emissions, contributing 75.5 per cent of the total, while gas and diesel buses produced 15.5 per cent and paper use five per cent.
The B.C. government has directed the public sector to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent from 2007 numbers by 2030. This month's staff report noted that the school district would have to curb emissions by 5.5 per cent annually for the next seven years to hit that mark and Mark Walsh, SD68 secretary-treasurer, said the goal probably won't be met.
However, the school district is seeing significant reductions from the COVID-19 pandemic era, when cold air was being pumped for continuous air flow.
"We've electrified many of our systems … electricians and plumbers and folks that work in mainly our trades … are increasingly able to access electric vehicles, which is making quite a dent in our emissions, which is a positive," Walsh said. "But in order to achieve [board and ministry goals], we would need significant investments in capital that are in reality, unrealistic at this particular juncture."
Air-source heat pump installations at Cedar Secondary and Cilaire and Pleasant Valley elementary schools were among the projects that aided in energy savings, a staff report noted.
Mary Zuccaro, school district energy manager, told the committee that further work is underway, including a greenhouse gas emissions strategy, fully funded by B.C. Hydro, that is now in the hands of B.C. Hydro engineers.
"They're reviewing it and I should be getting that back this summer. That'll give us a good indication, capital dollars-wise, ministry dollar-wise, what it's going to take to electrify our buildings."
