CEA’s work on local climate and energy is both enabled and amplified by its members.
CEA members include more than 30 regional, municipal, and indigenous governments as well as public and private sector organizations, associations, and foundations that are actively working to advance local climate action and community resilience.
The experiences and advice of our members shapes the direction of CEA and ensures that our work is relevant. In return, members become part of a community of governments, companies, and organizations supported by CEA’s capacity and expertise. Together, we are working to lower local GHG emissions and create resilient, strong communities.
As a non-profit organization incorporated under the BC Societies Act, CEA is governed by a Board of Directors that is made up of individuals who represent CEA’s members.
Why Membership in CEA?
CEA is unique in its focus on supporting local and Indigenous governments in taking bold actions related to climate and energy. This is of critical importance:
- Local governments have significant influence over about half of a community’s greenhouse gas emissions. The choices local governments make in regards to policy, infrastructure, and community engagement significantly affect where people live and work, how they get around, and how their communities grow and change with time.
- Local governments often lack the staff capacity and resources to “go it alone” in regards to climate action. Collaboration is vital.
- Local governments are deeply embedded in people’s day-to-day lives. This makes climate action at the local level more meaningful and more likely to influence real behaviour change.
- Numerous local benefits and priorities – the health and well-being of residents, economic development, improved air quality, biodiversity, energy security, and infrastructure resilience – go hand-in-hand with a reduction in emissions. Safeguarding the services delivered by local governments can often be accomplished through the same actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Members support CEA in its work and help to amplify the importance of working together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance community resilience. All members must be local governments, Indigenous communities, or other public or private organizations actively engaged in supporting communities on climate action.
Membership Benefits
Members work together to enhance the local capacity for climate action, enabling implementation of solutions that are informed by the experiences of others in order to reduce costs, time, and duplication.
Membership provides focused support aimed at helping communities accelerate the implementation of their priorities for climate action:
- Quarterly member meetings connect local governments, the Provincial Government, utilities, and other organizations and associations and provide opportunities for “deep dives” on recent developments, funding opportunities, government relations, public communications, and innovations.
- One-on-one check-ins with CEA staff on local climate action priorities. This may include guidance or feedback on funding applications, policies, bylaws, public messaging, and techniques for climate-related public engagement.
- Membership is predicted to save local governments dozens of hours of work and lead to increased grant funding for projects.
- Priority access to CEA services and programs and automatic subscription to CEA’s monthly newsletter with information about CEA projects and events.
- An exclusive “CEA Member” graphic that can be used by members to demonstrate their commitment to climate action and collaboration.
- Identification of members on the CEA website and in presentations, proposals, and official publications such as the Annual Report.
Annual Membership Fees*
- Local Governments**: $750
- Indigenous governments***: $0
- Public sector organizations: $2,500
- Business, industry and industry associations (private sector)
- Small (<100 employees/members): $2,500
- Large (>100 employees/members): $5,000
- Energy Utilities: $10,000
* The CEA Board approves all new members, and conducts an annual review of in-kind memberships for non-profit associations. The founding members of CEA are the Province of BC and the Union of BC Municipalities.
** Local governments include municipalities and regional districts.
*** The Community Energy Association is committed to the Calls to Action released by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and recognizes the importance of the self-determination of Indigenous Peoples as articulated in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Offering complimentary CEA membership to Canada’s First Nations is intended to honour and recognize the First Peoples in this land and support two-way learning and two-eyed seeing. It is one of the ways we are seeking to put the “Calls to Action” outlined in Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Report into practice.
CEA Members - 2023
