If you haven’t heard already, Gregor Robertson and the City of Vancouver have decided to set 10 goals to help the city become the greenest in the world by 2020. These goals fall under three different areas of focus and as you can see some of the goals fall under more than one area of focus. Each of these goals has a measurable target to achieve by 2020.
- Zero Carbon
- Eliminate Vancouver’s dependence on fossil fuels
- Lead the world in green building design and construction
- Make walking, cycling, and public transport preferred transportation options
- Secure Vancouver’s international reputation as a mecca of green enterprise
- Achieve a “one-planet” ecological footprint
- Zero Waste
- Eliminate Vancouver’s dependence on fossil fuels
- Create zero waste
- Secure Vancouver’s international reputation as a mecca of green enterprise
- Achieve a “one-planet” ecological footprint
- Healthy Ecosystems
- Vancouver will enjoy incomparable access to green spaces, including the world’s most spectacular urban forest
- Vancouver will have the best drinking water of any city in the world
- Vancouver will become a global leader in urban food systems
- Vancouverites will breathe the cleanest air of any major city in the world
- Secure Vancouver’s international reputation as a mecca of green enterprise
- Achieve a “one-planet” ecological footprint
One of the goals that caught my eye was creating zero waste. By 2020, Vancouver hopes to reduce solid waste going to the landfill and incinerator by 50% from 2008. By 2040, Vancouver hopes to be completely waste free. 
This video further explains the zero waste goal:
I believe that this path Vancouver is taking itself down is extremely important and that more cities in the world should follow. Vancouver will definitely be setting a precedent for how to become a green city and hopefully other cities will use Vancouver as an example and implement similar strategies and goals maybe even using a framework that Vancouver creates. By making specific, measurable goals for 2020 (which is only just over 2 years from now) Vancouver demonstrates its commitment to pursuing this plan. They have laid out a very detailed framework for themselves and are being very open and transparent with the public as to how far along they are in achieving their goals. I am definitely very excited to see what the city is like in a few years from now and am grateful to live somewhere that is actively pursuing a more sustainable plan.