Unions of Nova Scotia Municipalities

Programs, Policies & resources

‘TIS THE SEASON TO BE SUSTAINABLE:  TIPS FOR MAKING YOUR FESTIVE WORKPLACE A LITTLE GREENER

It’s estimated that Canadians exchange more than two billion Christmas cards each year and spend over $4 billion on wrapping, decorating and giving gifts.  During the holiday season, remember to reduce, re-use, and recycle when possible. Here are a few borrowed tips for a greener Christmas:

• Consider sending out e-cards this holiday season.
• Buy recycled wrapping paper and use natural materials such as raffia, string and dried flowers to decorate presents. You can even try wrapping gifts in old maps, comic pages or reusable items such as scarves or tea towels. (visit www.realsimple.com/new-uses-for-old-things/new-uses-gifts for other creative ideas).
• Recycle your greeting cards and wrapping paper, and where possible, place box board from gifts in your green bin.
  
• Use crockery rather than disposable plates and plastic cutlery at office events. 
• Cater your office party with organic, locally-sourced food.  Be sure to have jugs of your safe municipal drinking water available instead of using bottled water.
• Remember to take your reusable bags when shopping for the office party. 
• Give re-gifting a try for your Secret Santa holiday exchange.
• Consider donating to a charity or environmental organization rather than exchanging gifts. 
• Give an environmental gift such as a compost bin or native plant which will benefit the environment for many years to come. 
• For your office Christmas tree, your best environmental option is to buy a living tree and replant it after the holidays.  
• Consider purchasing an organically grown, fresh-cut Nova Scotia Christmas trees from a local distributer, such as the Ecology Action Centre (www.eac.com).
• Use LED lights to decorate your office and municipal Christmas trees as they are 90% more energy efficient than incandescent lights. 
• Remember to turn off your Christmas lights when leave at night. This will save money on your energy bill and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 
• Make a green New Year's resolution before returning to work in 2011.

All of the proposed Environment Act amendments were considered by the Department of Environment and will inform changes to the Act.  A "What We Heard" document summarizing all the feedback received is now posted on the Department’s website at:  

Stratos Inc. has recently developed Catalyzing Change: Leading Practices in Alberta Municipal Sustainability Planning, with the guidance of an advisory committee of academics and municipal associations, including UNSM’s Municipal Sustainability Office.  This comprehensive report outlines a framework for assessing and benchmarking sustainability plans based on their structure and comprehensiveness.  The goal of the report was to identify key elements and leading practices for assessing whether a sustainability plan includes all of the critical components for implementation. The framework can be used by municipalities to improve the content, structure and implementation of their integrated community sustainability plans.

The report is now available on Stratos’ website at http://www.stratos-sts.com/sectors/municipalities.html.

Stratos is also offering a Sustainability Check-Up service that applies the lessons learned from the report research to help municipalities improve the structure and implementation of their sustainability plans. The Sustainability Check-Up includes an assessment, workshop and action report.  More information on this service can be found at http://www.stratos-sts.com/documents/Service_Offering_Brochure-FINAL.pdf.

The Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act (EGSPA), which was established in 2007, is currently undergoing its five-year review by the Minister's Round Table on Environment and Sustainable Prosperity. Feedback on EGSPA is being requested from various stakeholders and the general public.

FEEDBACK PERIOD FOR RESPONDING TO DRAFT COASTAL STRATEGY EXTENDED
Submissions will be accepted until December 16, 2011.

To learn more about EGSPA or to provide your feedback into the review, please visit: 
http://www.gov.ns.ca/nse/dept/egspa.review.asp

The period for providing feedback on the Province’s draft Coastal Strategy has been extended to Friday, December 16.  Municipalities can provide their feedback through an on-line survey posted on the UNSM website www.unsm.ca or by clicking on the link below.

https://surveys.gov.ns.ca/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=n2KL558K

The draft Coastal Strategy addresses a number of important issues such as coast development, and proposes actions such as establishing coastal development standard. With a strong linked to municipal jurisdiction, and the fact that the draft Strategy attempts to address a number of concerns raised by municipalities, it is recommended that you take the time to read this document and provide your municipality's feedback.

If you have any question or concerns, please feel free to contact David Mitchell, [ This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; 424-2894] Coastal Strategist at the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, or Andrew Paton [ This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; 424-7492], Senior Planner, Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations.

A NEW POLICY AGENDA FOR CANADIAN MUNICIPALITIES TO ADVANCE SUSTAINABILITY

A joint-partnership between the Royal Roads University's Canada Research Chair on Sustainable Community Development (CRC) and Sustainability Solutions Group (SSG), this policy agenda for the implementation of sustainable development at the municipal level is the latest outcome from the CRC’s research continuum. This municipal action agenda is derived from a sustainable cities strategic review, including case studies of international best practices, with an analysis of these cases towards their potential applicability and adaptation to Canadian contexts. Six cities were reviewed in the case studies: Copenhagen, Sydney, Portland, Växjö, Malmö and London. Research and analysis for the international case studies included extensive interviews with key officials from each of these cities.

This project brought together an advisory group of municipal decision-makers, practitioners, planners and researchers from 20 Canadian municipalities and organizations. Through a series of e-Dialogues (virtual real-time meetings), this group examined barriers to sustainable development experienced in their municipalities, considered the potential relevance of achievements made in the six international case studies, and explored concrete solutions and actions that could be implemented in Canadian communities.

Click here for a copy of the report.

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