Climate change action plan

Climate change refers to the long-term shifts in temperature and weather patterns that occur due to natural changes of incoming solar radiation reaching the Earth’s surface as well as the alterations to the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere from both natural and anthropogenic origins. Since the industrial era, human activity has led to an increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and as a result, the average global temperature has increased by approximately 1.1°C. To prevent the most catastrophic impacts of climate change the global community committed to limiting warming to 1.5°C and no more than 2°C with the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015.

The impacts of climate change are being witnessed around the globe and across our country, with more intense and extreme weather events, including flooding, forest fires, droughts, and heatwaves. Limiting global warming to 1.5°C will reduce the impacts to our health, livelihoods, infrastructure, economic growth, and the safety of our own community as well as those across Canada. 

Climate change adaptation and mitigation

Climate adaptation refers to the measures that we can take to become more resilient to the impacts of climate change felt in our communities. These measures could include improving physical infrastructure to better withstand more intense and frequent precipitation, collaborating with farmers to plan for increased droughts, or implementing policies to protect our most vulnerable populations during periods of intense heat, for example.

Climate mitigation refers to the measures that we can take to limit the causes of climate change by reducing the amount of greenhouse gases that are added to the atmosphere as well as enhancing mechanisms that remove these gases from the atmosphere. This could include implementing strategies to manage and conserve the energy we use, switching to low carbon technologies and sources of energy, or reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. 

How is the plan being developed?

In consultation with ICLEI Canada – Local Governments for Sustainability, West Grey began the process of developing the CCAP in the fall of 2021. The planning process commenced with a comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions inventory, energy and emissions mapping, and business-as-usual projection for the municipality.

West Grey has also joined the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and ICLEI Canada’s Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program. The program currently has over 450 member municipalities across Canada who are working toward implementing climate action in their communities and across their municipal operations. The program offers support to members in municipal climate planning and follows a five-milestone framework which includes the following planning process:

Milestone 1 – Create a baseline emissions inventory and forecast.
Milestone 2 – Set emissions reductions targets.
Milestone 3 – Develop and local action plan.
Milestone 4 – Implement the local action plan.
Milestone 5 – Monitor progress and report results

Next steps in the development of the plan will be to establish an emissions reduction target and identify short- and long-term goals and strategies that will enable West Grey to meet its target. The final plan is expected to be completed in the spring of 2022 and will include an opportunity for public engagement and feedback. The completed plan will satisfy the requirements for the PCP program’s Milestone 1-3, with Milestones 4-5 to be achieved over the next few years.

Through the development of a climate change action plan, West Grey will be demonstrating leadership on climate action to our community and beyond. Our plan will see many additional benefits, as we assess how energy is consumed in our facilities, we will be able to identify effective measures to increase energy efficiency and save on the costs of energy that power our buildings. Transitioning our vehicle fleet over the coming years to low and zero carbon vehicles will help us save on maintenance and fuel costs while contributing to the overall air quality and health of our community.

Climate actions implemented across West Grey, through the County’s community-wide plan will also have many benefits to the community, including creating new jobs and encouraging economic growth, reducing the cost of energy to residents and businesses, encouraging healthy lifestyles by supporting access to active transportation routes, enhancing and expanding our natural areas through conservation and land-use planning, and improving air quality by moving towards less polluting energy sources.