Under contract with the BCIT Centre for Ecocities, CHRM partnered with OneEarth Living, Hot or Cool, and C40 Cities to develop Better urban systems: A guide to reducing emissions and improving city services and wellbeing for climate action on urban consumption, centred on equity and transformative change.

CHRM is on the consulting team with Tamara Shulman & Associates, and Ecoinspire that is supporting development of a Zero Waste Strategy for the District of Saanich. The strategy will establish a path to meet waste reduction targets, while also contributing to climate action and circular economy objectives.

CHRM is forecasting the impact of sectoral climate action measures on consumption-based emissions (CBEs) and identifying additional opportunities that will ensure reduction of CBEs.

CHRM  is collaborating with BOMA BC to develop a thriving hub of high performance buildings. Currently, consisting of 13 property managers, 50 buildings, over 4 million sq ft – the District spans Saanich and Victoria and includes major property managers in the region.

We have secured their commitment to reduce GHG emissions by 50% by 2030
helping them evaluate their energy and GHG impacts; and determining a pathway to reduce emissions.

Learn more about the Greater Victoria 2030 District here.

CHRM is supporting BC communities in becoming cities that are socially just within the ecological limits of our planet. We help them evaluate and action on their ecological footprint and consumption based greenhouse gas emissions. Saanich, Victoria and CRD are all anchor cities in the ecoCity Peer Network, and Saanich in particular has become a leader in taking action.

In part this leadership centres around the District’s anchoring of One Planet Saanich; which is another initiative that CHRM leads.

CHRM is the project manager for a BCIT led piloting of the ecoCity Footprint Tool, a tool which creates Consumption Based Emission Inventories and ecological footprint assessments at the community level. To date, CHRM has conducted 30+ CBEI inventories and ecological footprint assessments.

CHRM is the project manager for development and testing of the Lighter Footprint App which enables users to evaluate the ecological footprint and consumption-based emission impacts of their lifestyles.

CHRM is serving as an advisor and team member on the Beacon for Sustainable Living initiative which is exploring ways to effectively communicate about, and engage in, sustainable lifestyle transformations.

CHRM’s Ryan Mackie is a Senior Associate with Green Spark Group advising and providing support on projects assessing GHG emissions:

• • associated with on-set and studio film and TV productions
  • of current and future power options on set
  • from corporate operations

CHRM led the development of consumption-based ecological and carbon footprint assessments for Galiano Island in 2022, Ottawa, Saanich and Victoria in 2023 and Nanaimo and Lakefield College School in 2024.

Ryan Mackie gave two presentations in 2023 that were recorded, one to the Climate Caucus and one to Ecocity Peer Network, on how current greenhouse gas emissions targets and carbon budgeting stand up to the latest climate science, and the importance of a consumption-based approach. He also shared an assessment of our progress to date on the transition to net zero. The webinar content was also released as a report in 2024.

CHRM worked with OneEarth to help Vancity identify ways to catalyze lighter living throughout the credit union’s service regions.

CHRM led the development of a regional CBEI for Metro Vancouver, aligned with the GPC protocol. A follow up Addendum to the CBEI with additional emission sources and local emission factors for fossil fuels was completed in 2023.

• ecoCity Business Network, Vancity, 2018-19: Explored ways for businesses to work with local governments to achieve ecocities – in which cities, and the businesses within them are thriving within the Earth’s limited ecological resources.
• Zero Waste Strategy, City of Victoria, 2019: Worked as part of a consulting team (sub to Delphi) to develop foundational research and a framework for a Zero Waste Strategy for the City of Victoria.
• Surrey Single Use Item Strategy, City of Surrey, 2019: Worked as part of a consulting team (sub to Delphi) to develop a SUI strategy for the City of Surrey.
• Brief on Key Plastics Commitments, Circular Economy Leadership Coalition, 2019: research and analysis of best practices of plastics commitments and make recommendations for a Canadian plastics pact.
• Ecological Footprint Assessment of a Neighbourhood Development, City of Guelph (with Urban Equation), 2019: Prepared an Ecological Footprint assessment for a ‘One Planet Living’ neighbourhood development in the City of Guelph and comparison with the city baseline.

• Circular Cities Scan, National Zero Waste Council, 2018: Undertook a best practices scan of efforts to embed circular economy principles and objectives into local government planning.
• Global Report of National Sustainable Consumption and Production Policies and Initiatives, UNEP (with One Earth Society), 2017: Subcontracted by OneEarth to contribute to the Global Report of National Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) Policies and Initiatives. The primary objectives of the report based on a global survey are to take stock and establish a baseline of national SCP policies and initiatives worldwide. Contributed to the Canadian chapter of the report, in particular providing research, writing and strategic support towards the report.
• Climate Action Strategy, Capital Regional District (with Pinna Sustainability), 2016: Acted as an advisor and consultant in developing a Climate Action Strategy for the Capital Region of BC. The strategy provides a vision and goals to focus climate action efforts, a set of actions that are within the spheres of influence of the District, and an implementation and monitoring framework.
• Submission to BC’s Climate Leadership Plan Consultation Process, Sustainable Prosperity, 2016: Prepared a submission to BC’s Climate Leadership Plan Consultation Process on behalf of Sustainable Prosperity, focusing on recommendations for supporting tools required by local governments.
• Energy Efficiency Code for Existing Buildings White Paper,  RDH Building Science Inc., 2016: Sub-contracted to contribute local government expertise to the White Paper; identified co-benefits and complementary programs to support implementation of a new energy efficiency code for existing buildings in British Columbia.
• Long-term Energy Strategy, Capital Regional District, 2015-2016: Worked with the CRD Roundtable on the Environment to advise on a long-term energy strategy for the CRD.

• Sharing Economy Roadmap, One Earth, 2015: Advisor and author in the development of a Sharing Economy Road Map and “Sustainability Filter” to help local governments identify opportunities to leverage Sharing Economy activities to contribute to sustainability objectives. Sections authored include: Shared Energy, Shared Food, Municipal Sharing, Business-to-Business Sharing.
• Lessons Learned from BC’s Climate Action Plan: A Policy Brief,  Sustainable Prosperity, 2015: Prepared policy brief on lessons learned from BC’s Climate Action Plan, with respect to tools the province implemented to support local government action.
• UL Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy, UL Environment, 2014: Contracted to support an internal team in producing an enterprise-wide CSR Strategy. The project included a materiality assessment, a review of future trends and best practices, identification of performance metrics, and a stakeholder engagement process to establish a vision, objectives, signature programs and tactics.

Contributor to Climate Caucus knowledge sharing and discussions – for example:

• Carbon Budget & Science-based targets, Oct 2023
• Encouraging Canadian Cities to Consider Their Consumption-based Emissions, Mar 2023
• Frameworks for Change: sustainability planning frameworks and tools, May 2020

Consumption-based sustainability metrics help local governments understand their fair share of climate action

Cora Hallsworth led a session with Brad Badelt, Assistant Director of Sustainability with the City of Vancouver, and Glenys Verhulst, Sustainability Planner with the District of Saanich. They discussed how ecological footprints and consumption-based emissions inventories help cities take action on climate mitigation.

Watch a replay here

Presented on consumption-based sustainability metrics and the One Planet Living model.

Introduced the concept of modern ecocities and bridged into a discussion among city sustainability leaders, industry and educators from B.C., Washington and Oregon on new approaches and ways to collaborate to achieve shared sustainability goals.

Cora was a guest lecturer for ENSC 301, Sustainable Development Series, School of Environment and Sustainability, focused on ecological footprinting and CBEIs.

Presented to BC Mayors and Councilors on the One Planet Cities initiative and the use of advanced metrics (consumption-based emissions inventories and ecological footprinting). 

Presented on the One Planet Cities initiative.

Presented on consumption-based sustainability metrics and the One Planet Living model.

Presented on consumption-based sustainability metrics and the One Planet Living model. 

Presented lessons learned from One Planet Saanich and about opportunities to expand to the region. 

Presented lessons learned from One Planet Saanich and about opportunities to expand to the region. 

• Prospect Lake Community Association AGM October 16, 2019
• South Island Prosperity Partnership, September 10, 2019
• First Unitarian Church of Victoria, February 17, 2019

Session presenter, profiling Cora’s  work with BCIT, pilot testing a consumption-based emission inventory and ecological footprinting tool, and discussed opportunities for these inventories to inform sustainable consumption policy.