Sturgeon County aims to make its operations carbon neutral within four years under a new strategic plan — a plan that emphasizes better broadband and the green economy.
Sturgeon County council approved its 2022-2025 strategic plan during its Dec. 14 meeting. The so-called “plan on a page” sets out the overall vision and direction for the county for the next four years.
This new plan is very different from the old 2018-2027 one, the structure of which had not changed much in a decade, county corporate planning manager Jennifer Lavallee told council.
The new plan covers just four years instead of 10 for more flexibility and to correspond to council’s term in office, council heard. It also fits on a single page, unlike the old 28-page document.
In an interview, Mayor Alanna Hnatiw said council made these changes to make the plan more accessible to the general public. They also put specific, achievable goals in the plan residents could use to keep council accountable.
The plan sets goals in five areas, including planned growth, environmental stewardship, and collaborative governance. In four years, the county is set to be internationally competitive with modern broadband capabilities, have integrated natural spaces and trail systems, and hold meaningful connections with Indigenous communities, among other goals.
The plan includes a renewed focus on the environment. While the previous plan spoke in generalities about environmental awareness and minimizing impact, the new one specifically commits the county to having clean air, land, and water, as well as carbon-neutral municipal operations. The county is set to conserve natural areas and farmland, partner with industry to drive emission reductions, and support the region’s transition to a low-carbon economy. Hnatiw said these goals reflect council’s desire for action on the environment.
Hnatiw said the county is already working on many of the plan’s goals through initiatives such as its broadband pilot, the Edmonton Region Hydrogen Hub, and its ongoing research into a Clean Energy Improvement Program. Many of these goals will take far more than four years to achieve.
The new plan is to be posted on the county’s website.
