OCP/Zoning Bylaw Climate Study

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

SCOPE OF SERVICES

SERVICES
The City of Surrey (the “City”) is seeking to engage the research and planning services of a qualified consulting firm (the “Consultant”) to conduct a study that supports embedding climate action, including the City’s draft Climate Change Action Strategy (“CCAS”), into the City’s Zoning Bylaw and Official Community Plan (“OCP”). The project is being conducted in conjunction with BC Hydro and the outcomes of the project will include Surrey specific recommendations, actions, and policy direction, along with broader insights and learnings that can be shared with other BC municipalities. For the purposes of this Terms of Reference (“TOR”), climate action refers to both mitigation and adaptation strategies and actions that the City could take to tackle the climate crisis.

Background

Both the Provincial Climate Change Accountability Act and the Federal Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act require their respective governments to set emissions reduction targets and timelines and deliver credible, science-based plans to achieve them. In addition, the Provincial Local Government Act requires that an official community plan must include targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the area covered by the plan, along with policies and actions to achieve those targets.

On November 4, 2019, Surrey City Council (“Council”) unanimously declared a climate emergency. On March 9, 2020, Council adopted targets to align with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (“IPCC”) Special Report on limiting global warming to 1.5C. Surrey’s OCP was updated to include these targets which are to:
• Reduce Surrey’s community greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions from non-agricultural and non-industrial activities to net zero before 2050.
• Show corporate leadership by demonstrating best practices in climate change mitigation by reducing City of Surrey corporate GHG emissions to absolute zero before 2050.

The City is currently finalizing CCAS for Council’s adoption in the near future. CCAS will provide a roadmap for Surrey to meet its 2050 GHG reduction targets, introduce interim GHG targets, and outline a framework of vision, goals, shifts and actions across six key components. Four of the six components include actions with potential implications or opportunities for the OCP and Zoning Bylaw updates, including: resilient 15-minute neighbourhoods, safe zero-carbon transportation, healthy zero-carbon buildings, and climate-positive resilient ecosystems.

ADDENDA

If the City determines that an amendment is required to this RFP, the City Representative will issue a written addendum by posting it on the BC Bid Website at www.bcbid.gov.bc.ca and the City Website at www.surrey.ca (collectively, the “Websites”), and upon posting, any addenda will form part of this RFP. It is the responsibility of Proponents to check the Websites for addenda. The only way this RFP may be added to, or amended in any way, is by a formal written addendum. No other communication, whether written or oral, from any person will affect or modify the terms of this RFP or may be relied upon by any Proponent. By delivery of a Proposal the Proponent is deemed to have received, accepted and understood the entire RFP, including any and all addenda.

All inquiries related to this RFP should be directed in writing to purchasing@surrey.ca