Community Energy and Emissions Modelling

Type

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Community energy and emissions modelling (CEEM) is a tool that allows local governments to assess the impact of projected land use changes on future energy use and GHG emissions through different transportation patterns and the built environment.

CEEM enables local governments to understand the emissions and energy implications of future development scenarios in their communities. It may be used in the development of local government GHG targets, policies, and actions in official community plans (OCPs), regional growth strategies (RGS), community energy and emissions plans (CEEPs), climate action plans, and integrated community sustainability plans (ICSPs).

Local government staff, namely sustainability and land use planners are the key drivers in CEEM efforts. With practitioner support from the private sector, not-for-profits, academia and other levels of government, planners use CEEM to explore the emissions and energy implications of future land use development, and to actively engage their fellow financial and engineering colleagues, gaining insights and priorities from their community constituents and direction from their elected officials.

Case Studies

• Regional District of Central Kootenay (input into CEEP, OCP, RGS)
• Colwood (input into CEEP)
• Fraser Valley Regional District (input into OCP, RGS)
• City of North Vancouver, part 1 (input into 100-year Sustainability Vision)
• City of North Vancouver, part 2 (input into CEEP, OCP)
• Prince George (input into OCP, ICSP)