Resort Municipality of Whistler

The Resort Municipality of Whistler was the first community in North America to adopt The Natural Step Framework. With its stunning natural beauty, tremendous growth challenges and upcoming 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Whistler has spent the last decade understanding what sustainability means in its specific context. Through leadership, commitment and competence, Whistler has created an award-winning, comprehensive, community sustainability plan, enjoyed extensive early successes and continues to have an unwavering community-created vision and commitment.

Whistler2020, the community’s strategic plan, is an ambitious step toward sustainability. Guided by local values and The Natural Step’s sustainability principles, the plan is a product of the creativity and commitment of 16 community taskforces, over 20 partners and 75 implementing organizations. It’s won numerous awards, including the FCM’s Sustainable Community award, and the United Nation’s sponsored Liveable Communities gold medal for ‘planning for the future’.

Recently, Whistler has opened a LEED Gold equivalent Public library, signed six new Whistler2020 partners, become the first of 157 Canadian communities to reach the final milestone of the Partners for Climate Protection, added a Food Security Task Force to their 16 community priority areas, received a Green City Award from the Premier and signed on to the Province of British Columbia's Climate Neutral Initiative.