HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAO-15-024 - City of Kitchener Climate Action Plan - Terms of Reference
REPORT TO: Planning & Strategic Initiatives Committee
DATE OF MEETING: November 2, 2015
SUBMITTED BY: Laurie Majcher, Manager – Strategy & Business Planning, 519-741-2200
ext. 7817
PREPARED BY: Laurie Majcher, Manager – Strategy & Business Planning, 519-741-2200
ext. 7817
WARD (S) INVOLVED: All
DATE OF REPORT: October 19, 2015
REPORT NO.: CAO-15-024
SUBJECT:City of Kitchener Corporate Climate Action Plan - Terms of Reference
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RECOMMENDATION:
That the proposed terms of reference for the development of a City of Kitchener
Corporate Climate Action Plan that addresses both mitigation and adaptation strategies,
as outlined in report CAO-15-024, be approved; and
That staff be directed to continue to explore options to work in collaboration with the
Region of Waterloo, the City of Waterloo and the City of Cambridge for climate change
adaptation planning by participating in the Building Adaptive and Resilient
Communities (BARC) program offered by ICLEI Canada.
BACKGROUND:
Kitchener has a long history of acting to reduce greenhouse gases and implementing climate
change mitigation measures throughout the corporation. This has been reflected in
Kitchener’s Strategic Plan for theEnvironmentsince it was first adopted in 1992 with Energy
Systems as a main areas of focus. To achieve the objectives for reduced energy use in the
plan, Kitchener has implemented many initiatives since the 1990s—both large and small—to
achieve reductions in the production of greenhouse gases (GHG). Examples include: solar
roof at the Kitchener Operations Facility, solar heating for the Breithaupt Community Centre
pool, ISO 14001 certification for fleet operations; community bike share systems, electric
vehicle charging stations; and lighting retrofits.
*** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. ***
Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance.
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In 2013, Kitchener City Council endorsed the community-wide GHG reduction target of 6%
below 2010 emission levels by 2020, and endorsed A Community Climate Action Plan for
Waterloo Region – Living Smarter in 2020, in order to achieve the community GHG reduction
target. As a result of working collaboratively with other community stakeholders on these
initiatives, the City of Kitchener has been recognized by the Federation of Canadian
Municipalities as achieving Community Milestones 1, 2 and 3 for the Partners for Climate
Protection (PCP) program. Also in 2013, the City of Kitchener completing a comprehensive
GHG inventory for 2010 and was recognized as achieving Corporate Milestone 1 for the PCP
program.
In 2014, The City of Kitchener approved funding of $25,000 per year to go towards a
collaborative approach for facilitation of the Community Climate Action Plan implementation
from 2015-2021, with the goal of achieving Community Milestone 4 (Implementation) and
Milestone 5 (Monitoring & Reporting). At that same meeting, Council directed staff to report
back on the potential development of a formal climate change mitigation and adaptation
strategy for the corporation, including consideration of scope, process, costs and other
relevant considerations.
REPORT:
The climate in Waterloo Region and beyond is changing, and climate projections indicate that
there will be further changes over the next decades. Localized climate projections for Waterloo
Region, prepared by the Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change (IC3) and the University of
Waterloo, indicate that we can expect 40% more freezing rain events by 2050; Rainfall
intensities are projected to increase with large-magnitude rainfall events expected to occur
more frequently, and more wind gust events are expected as both large-scale frontal storms
and local convective windstorms (i.e., damaging downdrafts) are projected to occur more
frequently. The number of days with extreme heat is projected to more than triple to 32 days
per year by the 2050’s and nearly double again by 2080. The full report on Localized Climate
Projections for Waterloo Region, is attached as appendix A.
Scope of a Corporate Climate Action Plan
Combating climate change will require substantial and sustained reductions in GHG. No
matter how successful we are at reducing GHG emissions, we still face climate change
impacts linked to past and ongoing GHG emissions that will be present in the atmosphere for
many years to come. This means that both types of climate action are necessary: mitigation to
avoid even more dangerous impacts, and adaptation to deal with the level of change that is
expected for the next century or longer.
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There is significant overlap between climate change
adaptation, mitigation and sustainability measures
including those designed to improve greenspace,
foster urban agriculture and facilitate improvements in
buildings and urban infrastructure. Adaptation more
explicitly engages a wider range of issues, particularly
emergency management, infrastructure design and maintenance, health and the needs of
vulnerable populations in a changing climate.
ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability (International Council for Local Environmental
Initiatives) is an international association of local governments. Their mission is to build and
serve a worldwide movement of local and regional governments that are committed to
achieving tangible improvements in environmental sustainability. They promote participatory,
long-term strategic planning processes to support local-level sustainability.
ICLEI Canada, in partnership with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities offers programs
that help local governments advance their sustainability activities. The Partners for Climate
Protection (PCP) program is designed to support municipalities to develop and implement
climate change mitigation strategies, and the Building Adaptive and Resilient Communities
(BARC) program provides a structured approach for municipal climate adaptation planning.
The recommended approach for the City of Kitchener corporate climate action plan is to
integrate the main elements of both of these programs to develop a comprehensive action plan
with strategies that work synergistically together to reduce vulnerability to climate risks and
greenhouse gas emissions. With this approach, the City of Kitchener corporate climate action
plan will include the following components:
1. A vision for the City of Kitchener’s corporate climate action plan
2. Mitigation and adaptation goals for the next 10 years, including a corporate greenhouse
gas reduction target for the City of Kitchener;
3. A list of priority mitigation and adaptation actions that will contribute to the City’s climate
action goals, including existing and new measures to be implemented;
4. A detailed implementation plan that includes: estimated costs, funding sources,
responsibilities, and timelines; and
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5. A plan for monitoring the implementation status of mitigation and adaptation actions and
progress towards the corporate emissions reduction target.
Process for developing the Corporate Climate Action Plan
ICLEI’s methodology for mitigation and adaptation planning provides a structured approach
which moves participating local governments through a series of progressive steps. While
each milestone builds off of the findings of the one before, the methodology as a whole creates
an opportunity to focus on priorities, reflect on progress and achievements and continuously
improve the approach over time. There are five milestones in both the PCP program and the
BARC program that can be integrated into a single process to develop a comprehensive
climate action plan for the City of Kitchener that includes complimentary mitigation and
adaptation strategies that will provide the greatest long-term benefits. Taking an integrated
approach, the key steps in the process include:
BARC Milestone 1:
(3 - 4 months)
1. Form an interdepartmental climate change team with a clear mandate, a team leader
and a climate change champion
2. Complete a preliminary scan of existing knowledge on climate change impacts, actions
which already address elements of adaptation and mitigation looking at the policies,
plans, or other municipal decisions
3. Council resolution which entrenches the City of Kitchener’s commitment to the
mitigation and adaptation planning process
BARC Milestone 2:
( 8 - 10 months)
4. Consider service area impacts based on the specific ways in which the climate in
Waterloo Region is expected to change.
5. Complete a Vulnerability Assessment and Risk Assessment
6. Establish a prioritized list of impacts based on the vulnerability and risk assessment
BARC Milestone 3 & PCP Milestones 2 & 3:
(8 - 10 months)
7. Identify existing mitigation measures that will continue to contribute to GHG reductions,
and adaptation practices
8. Review and evaluate municipal best practices and identify mitigation and adaptation
options, considering financing and budget implications
9. Consult community stakeholders and citizens on priorities
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10. Establish a Corporate GHG reduction target for the next 10 years.
11. Create an Action Plan with an implementation schedule and receive Council approval
12. Develop a plan for the ongoing monitoring and updating of the plan that will satisgy
Milestones 4 and 5 for both the PCP program and the BARC program.
Cost of Developing the Corporate Climate Action Plan
The City of Kitchener has been working collaboratively with the Region of Waterloo, City of
Waterloo and the City of Cambridge in partnership with the University of Waterloo and the
Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change to prepare Localized Climate Projections for
Waterloo Region as a basis for future climate change planning. Through discussions with
these municipalities, a preliminary investigation of alternative approaches indicates that
external expertise will be required to complete the climate adaptation component of a
comprehensive climate action plan for the corporation.
While several options are still being considered, ICLEI Canada has offered a customized and
discounted regional approach for participation in the BARC program, which will enable the
most comprehensive and flexible way to address the impacts of a changing climate and
variable weather by looking at the communal municipal service areas that may be impacted.
With both lower-tier and upper-tier municipalities working together we will be able to identify
cascading impacts and the necessary actions and responsibilities to address each.
The total discounted cost of the BARC program for all four municipalities, including access to
the BARC Tool, research assistance, expert input, planning guidance and implementation
assistance is $210,000 for two years. The City of Kitchener’s contribution would be $52,000
excluding HST. The discount is contingent on the participation of four municipalities within the
region. The funding for the City of Kitchener’s participation is already included in the proposed
2016 capital budget.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
Strategic Priority: Sustainable Environment and Infrastructure
Strategy: #4.3 - reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption in all areas of
city operations and #4.5 - strengthen the capability and capacity within the organization to
manage all of the city’s assets so that they are affordable, dependable and sustainable in the
long-term.
Strategic Action: # 2 Integrated Climate Action Plan – Phase 1
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FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The cost of entering into a partnership with the Region of Waterloo, City of Waterloo and the
City of Cambridge in a joint agreement to participate in ICLEI’s BARC program would be
approximately $52,000 for 2016 and 2017. The funding for this initiative is already included in
the proposed 2016 capital budget.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM – This report has been posted to the City’s website with the agenda in advance of the
council / committee meeting.
CONSULT – members of the Environmental Committee have been consulted on the
recommendation of this report on October 15, 2015. Following questions and answers, the
Environmental Committee endorses a comprehensive plan for climate change for the City of
Kitchener and they are looking forward to being involved in a critical review of the proposed
plan when it is completed. The environmental committee will be kept informed of the progress
of this project and opportunities to engage the Environmental Committee throughout the
process will be explored as the project moves forward.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Jeff Willmer, CAO
Attachments:
APPENDIX A – Localized Climate Projections for Waterloo Region
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Localized Climate Projections
for Waterloo Region
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Eric D. Maloney, Suzana J. Camargo, Edmund Chang, Brian Colle, Rong Fu, Kerrie L. Geil, Qi Hu, Xianan Jiang, Nathaniel
Johnson, Kristopher B. Karnauskas, James Kinter, Benjamin Kirtma
Lindsey N. Long, Annarita Mariotti, Joyce E. Meyerson, Kingtse C. Mo, J. David Neelin, Zaitao Pan, Richard Seager, Yolande
Serra, Anji Seth, Justin Sheffield, Julienne Stroeve, Jeanne Thibeault, Shang-Ping Xie, Chunzai Wang, Bruce Wyman, and Ming
Zhao, 2014: North American Climate in CMIP5 Experiments: Part III: Assessment of Twenty-First-Century Proj J.
Climate, , 2230 2270. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-13-00273.1
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