As the effects of climate change increase, Clarington will continue to experience weather that is warmer, wetter and wilder. These changes will bring challenges to our Municipality. With this knowledge, Clarington’s Interdepartmental Climate Change Working Group is developing a corporate Climate Action Plan to enable the Municipality to make informed decisions to respond to climate change as part of municipal operations.
The Municipality is engaging in a five-stage approach to develop its corporate Climate Action Plan:
Phase One: Initiate - Complete |
Phase one involved identifying stakeholders, forming an Interdepartmental Climate Action Working Group, assessing current risks, reviewing existing climate action strategies, and passing a resolution to take action to respond to climate change by creating a Corporate Climate Action Plan. |
Phase Two: Research - Complete |
Phase two involved research and data collection to gain a deeper understanding of the impacts that climate change will have on our municipality. This included completing a corporate greenhouse gas emissions inventory, undertaking a risk and vulnerability assessment, and identifying the consequences and likelihood of climate-related events in Clarington. |
Phase Three: Plan - Complete |
On March 1, 2021, the Clarington Corporate Climate Action Plan was approved by Council. Over 100 staff from all departments collaborated to develop every aspect of the plan. The plan includes 115 actions that the municipality will take to reduce GHG emissions and avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change. |
Phase Four: Implement - Ongoing |
Staff are working to implement the actions identified in the Clarington Corporate Climate Action Plan. This involves developing a five-year implementation plan and action-specific implementation plans. These plans will prioritize action implementation, measure program implementation success, and identify key performance indicators, responsible departments, funding needs, and timelines for implementation. |
Phase Five: Monitor/Review - Ongoing |
Staff will track the ongoing implementation of the Climate Action Plan, identifying and reporting on successes and challenges. Staff will evaluate the effectiveness of actions, communicate accomplishments, identify future climate action options and prepare for future updates to the Climate Action Plan. |
More than 44 per cent of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change are under the direct or indirect control of municipalities (FCM, 2020). That’s why the Municipality of Clarington is taking action to establish targets to reduce corporate emission. On February 18, 2020, Council voted to join the Partners for Climate Protection Program (PCP), established by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities – International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives. The PCP program consists of a five-milestone framework, regarded as the industry-standard for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Milestone One: Create a Baseline Emissions Inventory and Forecast - Complete |
A GHG baseline emissions inventory will help track emissions and spending, gather money-saving information and measure progress over time. Having a forecast allows the Municipality to project future emissions based on assumptions about population, economic growth and fuel mix. |
Milestone Two: Set Emissions Reduction Targets - Complete |
GHG emissions reduction targets set the tone and direction for corporate emissions reduction efforts. Targets will be achievable, while also inspiring ambitious action. |
Milestone Three: Develop a Local Action Plan - Complete |
A local action plan outlines how the Municipality will achieve its GHG emissions reduction targets. The Clarington Corporate Climate Action Plan contains 115 actions that the Municipality will take to adapt to climate change and reduce GHG emissions. |
Milestone Four: Implement the Local Action Plan - Ongoing |
Staff are working to implement the actions identified in the Clarington Corporate Climate Action Plan. This involves developing a five-year implementation plan and action-specific implementation plans. These plans will prioritize action implementation, measure program implementation success, and identify key performance indicators, responsible departments, funding needs, and timelines for implementation. |
Milestone Five: Monitor Progress and Report Results - Ongoing |
Monitoring helps determine whether our initiatives are working and whether we’ll meet our targets. The data we collect will be used to evaluate and adjust our activities to reduce GHG emissions and achieve our targets effectively. |
The Municipality of Clarington recognizes the need for our community to adapt to a changing climate. According to a special report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, even if we were to stop emitting greenhouse gasses today, we will continue to experience some climate change due to the greenhouse gas emissions humans have already released into the atmosphere.
The Municipality of Clarington had partnered with the Region of Durham, area municipalities, conservation authorities, and other community stakeholders in Durham Region to develop the Durham Community Climate Adaptation Plan.
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