Download 2001PWW093 - City of Edmonton

Agenda Item No.: G.1.e.
Edmonton's Community-Wide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction & Energy Plan.
Recommendation:
1. That Council approve the Strategy
Document – Edmonton's CommunityWide Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Reduction & Energy Plan as the overall
strategic approach for addressing
greenhouse gas emissions in Edmonton.
2. That the Administration work with
stakeholders in accordance with the
Transitional Business Plan to start
implementation of the key
recommendations in the Strategy
Document.
Report Summary


The report outlines the recommended
Community-Wide Greenhouse Gas
Emissions Reduction & Energy Plan for
Edmonton.
To address the diverse nature of
greenhouse gas emissions reduction,
extensive stakeholder consultation has
been used and will continue through
implementation of the plan.
Previous Council/Committee Action

See Attachment 1, City of Edmonton
Climate Change Policy Background.
Report

The Community-Wide Greenhouse Gas
Emissions Reduction & Energy Plan is
the second part of the overall strategy for
greenhouse gas emissions reduction in
Edmonton. The first part, the
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction
Plan for City Operations (facilities,
fleets, processes and street lighting), was
approved by Council in 1999.
Routing:
Delegation:
Written By:
November 26, 2001
File: 2001PWW093
CO2RE Project Activities to Date
 The Office of the Environment has
facilitated a CO2RE (Carbon Dioxide
Reduction Edmonton) Team made up of
a cross section of community
stakeholders to develop a strategy to
reduce community-wide greenhouse gas
emissions in Edmonton. The CO2RE
Team was formed in late 1999 and
developed the strategy, through a series
of workshops and meetings.
 The Strategy Document for Edmonton's
Community-Wide Greenhouse Gas
Emissions Reduction & Energy Plan is
Attachment 2.
 In addition to the range of stakeholders
involved on the CO2RE Team, there has
been an extensive consultation process
in which an Initial Discussion
Document, a Consultation Document
and the Draft Strategy were circulated
widely for review and comment.
 The consultation process used by the
CO2RE Team to develop this strategy
involved the following:
 CO2RE Project Steering
Committee: comprised of two
Managers from the Administration
and representatives from EPCOR
and ATCO Gas;
 Pilot Stakeholder Group:
representatives from approximately
15 organizations used to provide
input in developing documentation;
 Broad Stakeholders: 150
organizations and interested citizens
to whom documentation was
distributed for comment.
 CO2RE Leadership Group: A
group of influential leaders brought
Transportation and Public Works Committee, City Council
W. D. Burn
M. T. Brostrom
Asset Management and Public Works
(Page 1 of 3)
Edmonton's Community-Wide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction & Energy Plan
together in mid 2001 to champion
the implementation of the strategy
(Attachment 3); and,
 Expert Review Panel: A panel
made up of representatives from the
Alberta Research Council, Economic
Development Edmonton, the
Pembina Institute for Appropriate
Development and the University of
Alberta.
 The Environmental Steering Committee
(Senior Management Team) and the
Environmental Advisory Committee
provided input at strategic times
throughout the process.
Steps to Implementation
 The overall approach for achieving the
strategic vision and goals of greenhouse
gas emissions reduction is to
competitively position Edmonton
through:
 integrating ongoing greenhouse gas
reduction plans within Edmonton’s
community;
 intensifying strategies that have
already been started and enable new
strategies;
 linking conservation with
opportunities to offset high energy
costs and reduce life-cycle costs; and
 encouraging business innovation.
 The process has identified three key
sectors, industrial, commercial and
institutional, and residential, that almost
equally contribute to greenhouse gas
emissions in Edmonton. These sectors
require different approaches to reduce
emissions.




The Summary and Recommendations to
Key Stakeholders, Attachment 4,
provides the key recommendations for
proceeding with the implementation of
the plan.
The Transitional Business Plan has been
developed to initiate the implementation
process over a 9 to 12 month period
starting in 2002. This process would be
facilitated by the Office of the
Environment.
Key outcomes of the Transitional
Business Plan will be:
initial implementation of the strategy;
and,
a long-term business plan clearly
identifying roles and responsibilities of
various stakeholder parties.
The public launch of the strategy is
being planned for late January 2002
Justification of Recommendation


(Page 2 of 3)
The Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Reduction & Energy Plan addresses
policy and strategic direction provided
by Council. The Plan was developed by
a cross-section of community
stakeholders and has been critically
reviewed and endorsed by local experts.
Edmonton could realize several benefits
from the plan when fully implemented
including:
 improvement of the overall
community resource efficiency;
 community renewal through energy
efficiency upgrades; and,
 increased business opportunities
through encouraging ‘climate
friendly’ business innovation.
Edmonton's Community-Wide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction & Energy Plan
Background Information Attached
1. City of Edmonton Climate Change
Policy Background
2. Strategy Document – for Edmonton's
Community-Wide Greenhouse Gas
Emissions Reduction & Energy Plan
3. CO2RE Leadership Group List
4. Summary and Recommendations to Key
Stakeholder Groups – for Edmonton's
Community-Wide Greenhouse Gas
Emissions Reduction & Energy Plan
Background Information Available on
Request
1. Transitional Business Plan – for
Edmonton's Community-Wide
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction &
Energy Plan
2. City Operations Plan (approved by
Council in 1999)
(Page 3 of 3)
Attachment 1
City of Edmonton Climate Change Policy Background
Policy Background:



In 1995, the City of Edmonton committed to participate in the Federation of Canadian
Municipalities (FCM) Partners for Climate Protection Program (previously FCM 20% Club).
In 1997, City Council directed the Administration to develop a plan for reducing greenhouse
gas emissions firstly, from City Operations and secondly, on a community-wide basis.
Plan Edmonton, approved by City Council in 1998, and the Environmental Strategic Plan,
approved by City Council in 1999, contain several strategies that address climate change.
Plan Edmonton
Plan Edmonton, approved by Council in 1998, contains several strategies that address climate
change:
- “Pursue opportunities, in co-operation with the federal and
provincial governments, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
- “Apply sound environmental principles and practices and use energy
and raw materials efficiently in City operations.”
- “Provide an improved range of travel choices to encourage travel
behaviour that reduces energy consumption, vehicle emissions and
environmental degradation.”
- “Enable Edmonton to become a leader among municipalities in
maintaining and enhancing the local and global environments.”
Environmental Strategic Plan
The Environmental Strategic Plan Policy Document, approved by City Council in July 1999,
placed a high priority on the topic of climate change with the following policy statements:
Objective: “To reduce Edmonton’s contribution to climate change and
support government commitments.”
Strategic Direction: “Reduce community wide greenhouse gas
emissions”
Key Strategies:
- “Encourage reduction of overall energy use from current sources
within the community.”
- “Develop strategies to deal with greenhouse gas emissions in
planning future community growth.”
- “Increase community-wide awareness of the importance and means
to reduce GHG emissions.”
- “Develop and maintain a community-wide greenhouse gas emissions
inventory.”
Attachment 1 - Page 1 of 1
Attachment 3
CO2RE Leadership Group
Name
Title
Company
Ken Voitt
Executive Director
Alberta Capital Region Alliance
TBA
Alberta Environment
Barry Breau
Managing Director
Alberta Environmental Network
Douglas Hollands
President
Alberta Motor Association
Ian Potter
Manager, Climate Change
Alberta Research Council
Larry Bruce
VP, Technical Services
ATCO Gas
Paul Beaubien
Director
Building Owners and Managers Association
Sheila Weatherill
President and CEO
Capital Health
Riely Kuthmann
President
Celanese Canada- Edmonton Facility
Al Maurer
City Manager
City of Edmonton
Allan Amey
President
Climate Change Central
Jim Edwards
CEO
Economic Development Edmonton
Dale Ripley
Superintendent
Edmonton Catholic School Board
Gary Reynolds
Department Head
Edmonton Public Schools
Greg Sevick
VP Operations
Enbridge Pipelines Inc.
Jim Vollmershausen
Regional Director General
Environment Canada – Prairie and Northern
Region
Brian Staszenski
Executive Director
Environmental Resources Centre
TBA
EPCOR*
TBA
President
Greater Edmonton Home Builders
Association
Wayne Wagner
President
Inland Cement – Edmonton Facility
Bruce Stewart
Director
Natural Resources Canada
A. Sam Shaw
President
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
David Pollock
Executive Director
Pembina Institute for Appropriate
Development
Sonja Mihelcic
Director
Sierra Club
Patricia Mackenzie
AVP Environment
Telus
Myles Kitagawa
Director
Toxic Watch Society
Jim Mitchell
VP Facilities
University of Alberta
*participation being confirmed
Attachment 3 - Page 1 of 1
Attachment 3
CO2RE Leadership Group
Attachment 3 - Page 2 of 1