VANCOUVER — A green advisory team launched by Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson earlier this year has proposed a number of measures — such as encouraging people to drink tap water and grow local food — to turn the city into the world’s greenest by 2020.

Other recommendations in an “urgent” report issued by Vancouver’s Greenest City Action Team include recruiting high-tech businesses and offering free parking for electric cars and scooters.

The report, which still has to go to city council, warns that Vancouver has no time to lose, especially as it’s in the global spotlight because of the 2010 Olympic Games.

“We’re already considered to be in the top 10 globally as a green city but we’ve been sliding in past years,” Robertson said.

“Vancouver is ready to embrace this; lots of people think green here, now we just have to act green.”

Vancouver lags behind Toronto and San Francisco and is far behind Copenhagen, Stockholm and Amsterdam when it comes to green. It is also not sustainable as residents “consume at a rate that our finite world cannot maintain,” the report said.

Vancouver’s water consumption, for instance, is among the fourth highest among Canada’s largest cities, mainly because water here is among the cheapest in the industrialized world.

The report focuses on three key areas: jobs and the economy, greener communities and protecting human health. A more comprehensive 10-year vision will be unveiled later this year.

To become the greenest city, Vancouver must have a small carbon footprint, clean air, clean water, an abundance of parks, locally produced food, a transit system, cycling and walking paths and mixed-use neighbourhoods.

One of the recommendations is to accelerate the infrastructure for electric vehicles and offer free parking for those cars, while encouraging Vancouver to buy fuel cell, electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles for the municipal fleet.

Half the trips taken in Vancouver are in single-occupancy vehicles, while only 17 per cent are on transit and walking, 12 per cent in shared vehicles and three per cent by bicycle.

Robertson said the green initiatives will give Vancouver a significant advantage in this economic climate. He noted the city already has green-tech companies but they are exporting their expertise.

The report noted areas such as organic foods and wind and solar power continue to grow in popularity. In 2008, green-tech companies received $8.4 billion in venture capital financing worldwide, a 38-per-cent rise over 2007. The False Creeks flats area is one of the key areas pinpointed for such companies, Robertson said. “Being branded the greenest in the world will boost our ability to attract more business,” he added.

Robertson said Vancouver would be able to grow its green jobs by simply switching city infrastructure with new technology, retrofitting homes and businesses and installing a smart electricity grid.

The report also recommends tax incentives and density bonuses to attract green-tech companies to Vancouver and neighbourhood grants to green up communities. It also suggests dedicating protected bike lanes and a city-wide composting program.

Robertson said despite some upfront capital costs, in most cases, the changes would create revenue. “The city has the financing ability to cover the front end and the installation so homeowners don’t get caught out of pocket for the measures that save the city money,” he said. He said the city would be able to defray costs by partnering with others. One of the recommendations is to work with BC Hydro for a demonstration project to install energy-efficient streetlights. The report also suggests that Vancouver seek funding partners, including senior governments, private donors and businesses.

“Some of the recommendations are actually already in place but need to be accelerated. We’re not starting everything from scratch here,” Robertson said.

ksinoski@vancouversun.com