By Connor Luczka, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A new plan meant to mitigate the effects of climate change will soon be heading to council for final approval.
In 2023, Stratford city council authorized the development of the Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP), an overarching plan for the community’s energy transition and emission-reduction efforts.
On July 24, the plan was unveiled during the infrastructure, transportation and safety subcommittee meeting.
Sadaf Ghalib, the climate change program manager with the City of Stratford, said the plan has been in the making for about 18 months.
“The Community Climate Action Plan is actually a community driven plan,” Ghalib said. “It has been developed for the community, and that includes residents, both renters and homeowners, local businesses that are part of our downtown and beyond, as well as industry partners and other stakeholders in the community. Any and all work that we will do to facilitate or administer this plan will be a direct benefit to the community over the next 30 years.”
The plan is intended to advance priorities related to council’s 2021 climate emergency declaration, inform climate action related to homes, industry, transportation, neighbourhood, energy infrastructure and waste management, ensure alignment with federal and provincial energy strategies, and help reduce community greenhouse-gas emissions.
Through work on the CCAP, baseline data analysis revealed that in 2022, approximately 347,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent community emissions were generated in the city. Buildings, at 46 per cent of emissions, and transportation, at 43 per cent, were the largest sectors.
Those emissions are expected to rise by 20 per cent in 2050 to 416,400 tonnes.
Additionally, Stratford uses nine petajoules of energy each year, again based on data from 2022, and that is expected to increase by 22 per cent in 2050 to 11 petajoules.
“Energy costs are, by far, the most escalating factor when projecting community greenhouse gases and energy usage into the future,” a management report on the plan reads. “Community-wide energy costs range from $230 million in 2022 to between $700 million (low price range) and $1.1 billion (high price range) in 2050 – an increase of 220 per cent to 400 per cent. This translates to approximately $6,630 per capita in 2022 to more than $15,218 (low price range) to $23,913 (high price range) per capita utility cost burden in 2050.”
To curb that rise, the CCAP includes seven program areas and more than 15 actionable items under those program areas.
The program areas reflect community priorities and address the built environment, neighbourhoods, energy supply, transportation and waste. They are:
• Efficient Homes and Buildings
• Efficient Industry
• Low-Carbon Neighbourhoods
• Energy Supply and Distribution
• Efficient Transportation
• Towards Zero Waste
• Governance
To achieve efficient homes and buildings, the plan recommends a deep-retrofit program for existing homes and non-residential buildings, a building-efficiency program for new construction projects, and transparent-energy performance labelling for buildings when selling or renting.
To achieve low-carbon neighbourhoods, the plan recommends the establishment of net-zero neighbourhoods and green-development guidelines.
To achieve efficient industry, the plan recommends the creation of an industrial energy and climate best practice network.
To achieve efficient transportation, the plan recommends the alignment of the CCAP with the city’s transportation master plan to reduce overall time spent in personal vehicles and increase time spent walking, cycling and taking trains and buses, as well as the establishment of an electric and low-emission vehicle-support program.
To achieve energy supply and distribution goals, the plan recommends the creation of a district-energy program, a heat-pump program, a solar hot-water program, and a solar-photovoltaic program. Solar photovoltaics reduce the dependence on fossil fuels and uses solar power as a cost-effective, zero-carbon electricity alternative.
To achieve zero waste, the plan recommends the alignment of the CCAP with existing waste-management activities to reduce compostable waste and amplify waste reduction and recycling.
Each actionable item has a recommended approach and what would be needed to achieve the program from partners, the city and residents, as well as estimated municipal costs and potential emission reductions they could contribute.
For instance, creating a deep-retrofit program for existing homes would need a participation rate of 80 per cent of existing residential buildings and the creation of a business case for such a program from the municipality, costing an estimated $80,000-$100,000, though funding may be available through upper levels of government.
It could reduce emissions by 19,000 tonnes a year, eight per cent of the yearly emissions in Stratford.
The CCAP is one of two major plans developed by the city to address climate change, the other being the corporate energy and emissions plan (CEEP) that was approved in 2023.
The whole CCAP can be found included in the committee meeting’s agenda at calendar.stratford.ca/meetings/Detail/2024-07-24-1630-Infrastructure-Transportation-and-Safety-Sub-commi/a041025c-792f-4674-8491-b1b0013ff0b5.
Bill James-Abra, founder of the grassroots climate change organization, Climate Momentum, delegated to the committee on the CCAP, calling it and any other municipally led action against climate change “critical.”
“It becomes frightening to acknowledge that action is needed because we don't know where to begin,” James-Abra said. “We don't know where to go and we feel alone in the face of it. … But we're not alone and we have some places to start and it's precisely that opportunity that the Community Climate Action Plan presents us with.
“The Community Climate Action Plan is the kind of roadmap that provides the strategic direction we need and the community engagement that's needed to make the plan work. And one of the big reasons for my being here is … to assure you that the community is on side.”
The committee approved the plan with some like Coun. Larry McCabe praising Ghalib’s efforts and the cost savings this plan could facilitate for residents.
During Ghalib’s presentation, she indicated that through just an energy transition from fossil fuels controlled outside of Stratford to locally generated electricity, it could have a cumulative saving for the community between $5 billion and $7 billion from 2032 onward, as well as keep the money generated within the community.
“I'm happy that it's being brought forward at this time for support,” McCabe said. “As the vice chair of finance, I was quite happy to hear about the $5-7 billion in savings possible for our residents if we get this right.”
The CCAP will be presented to Stratford city council at a later date for final approval. The CCAP was funded through Ontario’s Ministry of Energy with the requirement that it be endorsed by council no later than Sept. 1.
If approved by council, any and all programs suggested by the plan and their costs will still need to be approved separately by council.
More information on the city’s work to mitigate climate change can be found at www.stratford.ca/en/live-here/climate-action.aspx#Community-Climate-Action-Plan-CCAP-.
Comments