Trish Mandewo

Climate action has been part of my work both locally in Coquitlam and through my leadership at the Union of BC Municipalities.

As a two-term Coquitlam City Councillor, I have supported the City’s work to integrate climate action, environmental sustainability and resilience into how we plan for growth. This includes Coquitlam’s Environmental Sustainability Plan and our Climate Action Plan, which sets out 45 actions focused on transportation, buildings, consumption, environmental stewardship and municipal leadership.

I believe effective climate action must also recognize the realities municipalities face. Communities are being asked to reduce emissions, protect natural assets and prepare for increasingly severe weather while also accommodating significant population growth and building the infrastructure residents need.

As President of UBCM, I advocated directly with the Province for greater and more predictable resources for local climate action and emergency preparedness. UBCM called for a portion of the growth in provincial carbon-tax revenues to be transferred to local governments for climate initiatives and emergency management. I also publicly supported provincial climate-action funding that enables communities to invest in emissions reduction and more resilient infrastructure.

My approach is practical: climate action should be embedded in land-use planning, transportation, infrastructure, buildings and the protection of our natural environment, not treated as a stand-alone initiative.

As Mayor, I would continue advancing solutions that reduce emissions while strengthening Coquitlam’s resilience and protecting the parks, trees, waterways and natural spaces that contribute so much to our quality of life.

Housing cannot be planned in isolation. As Coquitlam grows, we must build complete communities where people can live, work, shop, learn, play and access nature and services close to home.

My approach is to align growth with infrastructure from the beginning. That means using our Official Community Plan, neighbourhood plans and capital planning to ensure that roads, sidewalks, water, sewer, parks, recreation facilities and other municipal services are planned alongside new housing; not years after residents arrive. Coquitlam’s current OCP already directs growth toward transit, neighbourhood centres and significant community facilities.

Growth must also contribute fairly to the infrastructure it creates demand for. I support regularly reviewing Development Cost Charges and Amenity Cost Charges so they reflect current costs and help fund infrastructure, parks, community centres, libraries and other amenities without placing an unreasonable burden on existing taxpayers.

We also need stronger coordination with the Province, school district, TransLink and Metro Vancouver. Schools, transit or regional infrastructure are not part of Municipal mandate, however, population forecasts and development timelines must be shared with partners for effective planning.

Finally, complete communities need jobs. I would continue strengthening Coquitlam’s economic development efforts, protecting industrial lands and encouraging mixed-use neighbourhoods that bring homes, businesses and services closer together.

Density done well is not simply more housing. It is housing supported by the infrastructure, services, green spaces and economic opportunities that make a community livable.

Mature trees are irreplaceable in the short term. While planting new trees is essential, a newly planted tree cannot immediately provide the shade, cooling, habitat, stormwater management and carbon-storage benefits of a mature tree.

As a Coquitlam Councillor, I supported our Urban Forest Management Strategy, which establishes a 50% city-wide canopy target and measurable goals for planting, tree health, diversity and forest restoration.

As Mayor, I would focus on implementing that strategy while strengthening mature-tree retention as our city grows. That means identifying healthy mature trees early in the development process, protecting critical root zones during construction, and ensuring replacement requirements reflect the canopy lost. Not simply the number of trees removed.

We must also recognize that canopy will not be distributed equally everywhere. In high-density areas, particularly Transit-Oriented Areas where provincial legislation requires significant density, there will be less space for large trees on individual development sites. We should mitigate this through thoughtful neighbourhood design by including linear parks, greenways, connected green spaces, street trees and other green infrastructure that bring shade and nature into dense urban areas.

I support prioritizing large-canopy species where conditions allow and tracking not only how many trees we plant, but how many survive and mature.

Growth and trees should not be treated as competing objectives. Our goal should be to accommodate housing while retaining mature trees wherever practical and deliberately building green infrastructure into areas where density makes traditional tree canopy more difficult to achieve.

I support the goal of transitioning new buildings toward zero-carbon operation. Buildings are long-term investments, and the choices we make today will influence Coquitlam’s emissions, energy use and resilience for decades.

Coquitlam is currently aligned with the provincial implementation schedule for the Zero Carbon Step Code. The Province is progressively increasing requirements, with the objective that all new buildings achieve zero operational carbon by 2030. I support continuing that transition and would consider earlier adoption of higher emissions levels where the evidence demonstrates that it can be achieved without creating unintended consequences for housing affordability or project viability.

For me, climate action and housing affordability cannot be considered in isolation. Before moving significantly ahead of provincial requirements, I would want to understand the impacts on construction costs, housing delivery, electrical capacity, technology availability and the ability of builders and trades to successfully implement higher standards.

My approach would be progressive but practical: establish clear timelines, measure impacts, engage industry and residents, and accelerate implementation where the evidence supports doing so. We however, should not use those challenges as a reason for inaction. We can work with builders, energy providers and other levels of government to identify barriers, encourage high-performing buildings and prepare the industry for increasingly stringent requirements.

Coquitlam’s Climate Action Plan commits us to reducing community greenhouse gas emissions by 45% below 2007 levels by 2030 and reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. The Zero Carbon Step Code can help us achieve those goals.