The Good Guys – BCAC

Meet the environmental champions in our community.

Check in with us every month as we highlight the work and accomplishments of various organizations and individuals – The Good Guys.

Biodiversity and Climate Action Collective Niagara (BCAC) is a collective of Niagara’s 18 environmental groups, plus more than two dozen unaffiliated citizens who advocate for proven municipal best practices and policies that protect and enhance local biodiversity and combat climate change. 

There is power in numbers and BCAC’s goal is to bring groups together so they can speak with one voice on major environmental and climate matters, to be effective in making change happen, especially at the Region level.

Their first group effort was successfully lobbying the Regional Council to adopt the best Natural Environment System option as part of its new Official Plan. BCAC was able to accomplish this by working together despite opposition from the development industry and staff reports that recommended a less effective option.

They continue to lobby for stronger urban forest policies and urban planning across the Region, an effective climate mitigation plan that will achieve a 50% reduction in locally produced GHGs by 2030 — as the Paris agreement calls for — and better multi-modal transportation planning that protects provincially significant wetlands and significant woodlands from destruction. As well, they intend to ensure that the Greening Initiative, that the Region has promised as part of its Climate Action Plan, actually achieves a significant increase in tree canopy from the current 17% to a minimum of 30% over time, and that this is achieved through the planting of native plants to support local biodiversity. 

As a collective, their member groups continue to carry on their own activities and work without interference, but come together to advocate for the policy changes that will benefit us all. BCAC also allows for information-sharing among groups and provides mentoring opportunities as they learn from each other’s successes. It allows them to share information about their events with a wider audience and helps keep better track of important issues around the Region.

BCAC works with other groups around the Province to provide comments on Provincial policies on land use planning, Greenbelt expansion, transportation policy and many other matters.

For more information on BCAC visit the Biodiversity and Climate Action Niagara Facebook page or email Liz at 905-562-3819.