N.C responds to request to be removed from the PCP
COAP letter sent to N.C.
Hello all,
A few weeks ago COAP sent a letter to the Municipality asking that they remove themselves as members of the Partners for Climate Protection, a global NGO.
AI description: “PCP stands for Partners for Climate Protection, a program managed and delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and ICLEI—Local Governments for Sustainability Canada (ICLEI Canada). This program helps municipalities reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the quality of life for residents by providing a five-step Milestone Framework to guide climate action.”
The letter was pulled for discussion by Cllr. Findlay last week. Basically, staff stated that it doesn’t cost them money (anymore) in staff time, as they primarily used it for help in creating their Climate Action and Energy Plan (CAEP) a few years ago. The fact that North Cowichan is rated as step 4 out of 5 levels means they did use staff time to ‘report’ their progress to this external body. They say that it is currently useful, as they get free webinars across the country to align with other municipalities’ ‘best practices’. Unfortunately, the point of removing themselves from the PCP was lost on most in the room. That point being - remove ourselves from all United Nations global influences on local council. The fact that we pay the staff to watch these ‘free webinars’ so they can align with global policies should be enough to remove themselves in good conscience.
It would really just be a good-faith gesture to remove themselves from the PCP, as council members and mayors across the nation still attend the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) as well as the UBCM (in B.C.), both of whom partner with ICLEI (U.N. NGO) to implement global ‘solutions’ to climate change and the ‘Race to Net Zero’ (whatever that means), as if we all lived in the same situation around the world needing the same ‘solutions’. Globally, their (U.N.) solutions are: remove agriculture, remove rural living – to be replaced with living in small boxes in your 15-minute city (where you walk, work, shop and play), ‘re-wild’ 50% of all land (not usable by humans), remove meat as a staple in diets, full digital surveillance (for your safety, of course), implementation of ‘diversity and equity’ over skill and talent, with the end goal to remove nationalism and local solutions to be replaced with global governance.
The point was to REMOVE ourselves from global influences, and get back to LOCAL solutions and consultation.
One speaker at the meeting thought it was great that we could consult near and far over local climate policy, and it was well worth it to be in talks with these people to save outsourcing consulting fees. It is assumed this speaker did NOT look over budget reports, where they would see hundreds of thousands spent in consulting fees paid out for every aspect of our CAEP – i.e., Transportation Plan, Forestry, etc. Being a part of these groups (PCP/ICLEI) can also be seen as a bribe in ways, as the municipalities get grants such as the Green Municipal Fund through the FCM. It is all just one and the same, with millions being funnelled/laundered from big governments to NGOs and then back to local governments – to implement Agenda 2030 locally.
Letter to Council:
“Dear Mayor and Council
Municipality of North Cowichan
7030 Trans-Canada Highway
Duncan, BC V9L 6A1
May 7th , 2025
Dear Mayor Douglas and Members of Council,
We, the undersigned group of concerned residents and taxpayers of North Cowichan, are writing to formally request that the Municipality immediately withdraw its membership from the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program, administered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability. North Cowichan joined the PCP on June 19, 2013, as confirmed by the council’s decision at its regular meeting, and has since progressed to Milestone 4 of 5, indicating substantial reporting and resource allocation to meet the program’s requirements. We firmly believe this program represents an unacceptable overreach by a global non-governmental organization (NGO) into our local governance. We strongly urge you to prioritize accountability to the taxpayers of North Cowichan and senior levels of government—namely the Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada—over reporting to unelected, international entities with no democratic mandate in our community.
The PCP program requires municipalities to commit to milestones, submit detailed reports such as emissions inventories and implementation updates, and align with frameworks dictated by ICLEI, a global NGO headquartered outside Canada. This arrangement diverts resources and attention from the pressing needs of North Cowichan residents, compelling our local government to serve the interests of an external organization rather than those who fund and elect you. Having reached Milestone 4, North Cowichan has already invested significant time and resources in meeting PCP’s bureaucratic demands, including developing and implementing a local action plan. Taxpayers deserve transparency and direct accountability, not the diversion of municipal efforts toward satisfying the agendas of global NGOs. By participating in the PCP, North Cowichan is effectively outsourcing its climate policy priorities to an entity that lacks the authority, legitimacy, or local context to dictate how our community should address environmental challenges.
Our local government’s primary duty is to serve the residents of North Cowichan, who bear the financial burden of municipal operations through property taxes. The costs associated with PCP membership—including staff time, reporting requirements, and potential alignment with externally imposed targets—represent an unjustifiable expense when our community faces immediate concerns such as infrastructure maintenance, housing affordability, and crime. For example, the Municipality’s own Climate Action and Energy Plan (CAEP) reserve fund, supported by a 0.5% tax, is already designed to address local climate priorities. Why, then, should North Cowichan continue to divert resources to comply with a global NGO’s bureaucratic demands when we have established mechanisms to address our unique needs?
Furthermore, North Cowichan is already obligated to report corporate emissions to the Province of British Columbia through the Local Government Climate Action Program (LGCAP). This provincial framework ensures accountability to elected officials and taxpayers within a Canadian jurisdictional context. Submitting additional reports to the PCP, as required for milestones like Milestone 4, duplicates efforts, wastes resources, and undermines the sovereignty of our local and provincial governance structures. Senior levels of government have the authority, expertise, and democratic legitimacy to guide climate policy in Canada. A global NGO does not. By prioritizing PCP reporting, Council risks diluting its accountability to the very people it was elected to serve.
The PCP’s globalist framework also raises serious questions about its alignment with North Cowichan’s specific needs. Our region faces localized challenges—summer droughts, winter flooding, and the need for resilient infrastructure—that demand tailored solutions developed in consultation with residents, not cookie-cutter mandates from an international body. The Municipality’s recent adoption of a Climate Risk Assessment and Adaptation Strategy (September 4, 2024) demonstrates a commitment to addressing these local risks through collaboration with the Cowichan Valley Regional District and First Nations. This locally driven approach is sufficient and should not be subordinated to the PCP’s one-size-fits-all model, which lacks the flexibility to address North Cowichan’s unique geography and community priorities.
We ask that North Cowichan Council take immediate action to withdraw from the PCP program and redirect all associated resources to locally accountable initiatives. This includes:
Terminating membership in the PCP and ceasing all reporting to ICLEI.
Ensuring that all climate-related reporting is directed solely to taxpayers through transparent public updates and to senior levels of government via established channels like the LGCAP.
Engaging directly with North Cowichan residents to determine climate priorities, rather than adhering to external mandates.
Failure to act on this request will signal a disregard for the principles of democratic accountability and fiscal responsibility. Residents of North Cowichan deserve a Council that places their interests above those of unaccountable global organizations. We expect a written response within 14 days, confirming the Municipality’s intent to withdraw from the PCP and outlining how Council will enhance transparency to taxpayers on climate action initiatives. If this letter needs to go to a council vote, we will extend the request 30 days.
Sincerely,
Concerned Residents of North Cowichan and COAP members”
The short but sweet discussion regarding our letter:
Sincerly,
Team COAP