Wilmot, Wellesley welcome new shared sustainability manager

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By Galen Simmons

The townships of Wilmot and Wellesley now have a dedicated staff member tasked with finding opportunities to reduce greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions, conserve resources and potentially save the municipalities money through more efficient operations.

Sustainable Waterloo Region (SWR) executive director Tova Davidson introduced Steffen Knochel, the new sustainability manager shared between the two townships, to Wilmot council at its Aug. 24 meeting.

The one-year position, hosted through SWR, was approved earlier this year as a way for the neighbouring municipalities to share sustainability expertise they did not have internally. Funding from Enbridge Gas covers half the $70,000 salary, while Wilmot and Wellesley are each contributing approximately $17,500.

“It is a shared role with just a one-year idea of, ‘Let’s give this a try and see how we can make some real progress,’ ” Davidson told council.

Knochel, an architect and certified passive house designer with nearly two decades of experience, said his background includes building retrofits and designing energy-efficient buildings, including passive houses.

His immediate priority will be establishing a clearer picture of where the townships currently stand and identifying where improvements can be made.

“In the first six months, I will focus on the GHG emissions, see where we sit in terms of emissions and water usage, and find, hopefully, some good areas to improve,” Knochel said.

That work builds on the mandate council approved earlier this year, which includes developing a corporate climate-action work plan and identifying opportunities related to municipal energy consumption, waste reduction and water conservation. The position is also intended to help the townships work toward the TransformWR target of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 and 80 per cent by 2050.

Knochel expects to report back to council quarterly as that work progresses.

Coun. Kris Wilkinson asked whether Knochel's initial review had already pointed to potential operational improvements or cost savings.

“I think we have good opportunities in terms of water savings,” Knochel said, describing that as his initial impression from the data he has seen. He added a more detailed review of municipal data and facilities will be needed before specific recommendations can be made.

Davidson said SWR will also help identify funding opportunities that could offset the capital costs of recommended improvements.

“The other focus for us is to look at that data and where the physical opportunities are, and then to look at funding opportunities and to apply for those funding opportunities to enable some of those retrofits,” she said.

The goal, Davidson added, is to use available funding to reduce upfront costs while improvements to building efficiency generate longer-term operational savings.

That potential for savings was among the reasons Wilkinson supported creating the position when it came before council earlier this year. At the time, he called the one-year shared position a “no-brainer” and said it could also demonstrate how Wilmot and neighbouring municipalities could share other specialized resources in the future.

Mayor Natasha Salonen welcomed Knochel to the township and thanked him and Davidson for appearing before council.

As the one-year pilot moves forward, Knochel will work with staff in both municipalities to collect data, identify priorities and develop sustainability initiatives tailored to each township.