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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDSD-2022-072 - Corporate Climate Action Plan - 2022 Progress Update, Next Steps and Close Out Development Services Department www.kitchener.ca REPORT TO: Community and Infrastructure Services Committee DATE OF MEETING: March 7, 2022 SUBMITTED BY: Anna Marie Cipriani, Corporate Sustainability Officer, 519-741-2200 ext. 7322 PREPARED BY: Anna Marie Cipriani, Corporate Sustainability Officer, 519-741-2200 ext. 7322 Samantha Tavenor, Sustainability Office Associate, 519-741-2200 ext. 7137 WARD(S) INVOLVED: All Wards DATE OF REPORT: February 23, 2022 REPORT NO.: DSD-2022-072 SUBJECT: Corporate Climate Action Plan 2022 Progress Update, Next Steps and Close out RECOMMENDATION: That this report concludes milestone 4 and 5 for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Partners for Climate Protection Program (FCM PCP); and further, That staff be directed to develop the next generation City of Kitchener Corporate Climate Action Plan (CorCAP) utilizing the Council endorsed TransformWR framework and report back to Council on the development of the next generation Corporate Climate Action Plan in 2023. REPORT HIGHLIGHTS: City of Kitchener has met its 8% GHG corporate emissions reduction target Climate Action Plan (CorCAP), complete and receive FCM PCP Corporate milestones 4 and 5 regarding progress and initiate the development of a new CorCAP for the City of Kitchener building on the Council unanimously endorsed TransformWR framework There are no financial impacts associated with this report at this time This report supports the strategic goal of Environmental Leadership. BACKGROUND: As an organization the City of Kitchener has met its corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target of 8%. At this point in the lifespan of the Corporate Climate Action Plan (CorCAP), a greater sense of urgency is more broadly acknowledged and there is greater clarity about the direction corporate climate action work must take. As such, this report *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. regarding progress n CorCAP. The City of Kitchener will build on the Council unanimously endorsed TransformWR framework (the minimum targets, pathways, and actions) (Appendix A) as it develops the next generation CorCAP. Staff will report back to Council on the development of the next generation CorCAP in 2023. Community Focus First Generation For the last decade the City of Kitchener has been participating in ClimateActionWR (CSD- 14-028). Ten organizations collaborate to catalyze community climate action through the collaborative. This collaboration includes all eight local municipalities and two local non- governmental organizations (Reep Green Solutions and Sustainable Waterloo Region). Staff from the Area Municipalities (with representation from the Townships as capacity allows) serve on the ClimateActionWR management committee. The first generation of community climate action work included a 6% GHG community reduction target from 2010 levels (CSD-13-108) and progress reporting (CSD-17-046). Second Generation In 2018 Council unanimously endorsed a community GHG emissions reduction target of 80% below 2010 levels by 2050 (INS-18-024). In June 2021, Council unanimously supported the second-generation community climate action plan TransformWR (DSD-2021- 94). TransformWR is the broad umbrella strategy developed by ClimateActionWR that the City of Kitchener has endorsed as the framework to transition our community off of fossil fuels. It includes a 30-year strategy and a 10-year plan to address climate change. Through this plan the City of Kitchener is working to achieve (as a minimum target for our region) an interim absolute GHG emission reduction of 30% by 2030 and 80% by 2050. Recognizing we are a growing community (based on population projections) this will equal a GHG emissions reduction of 49% per person in our community by the year 2030. With increased support from other levels of government, it may be possible to exceed these targets. The technical pathway assessment to achieve these goals was led by WalterFedy. TransformWR identifies 6 Transformative Changes, related strategies and 78 actions along with key milestones to help track our progress. The City of Kitchener is responsible as lead, co-lead, collaborator, support, or participant for 50 of these actions. This significant commitment builds on a decade of work ushered through ClimateActionWR on engagement, catalyzing action, and progress reporting. TransformWR is a vision for community transformation. The ClimateActionWR Collaborative will track GHG emissions on an annual basis, with full GHG inventories completed no less than every 5 years. Key performance indicators will also allow monitoring of progress on an ongoing basis. REPORT: climate action work happens in two focus areas a corporate focus and a community focus. emissions (including City of Kitchener owned and operated buildings, fleet, streetlighting, pumping stations and corporate waste). In general, municipalities have direct and indirect control of approximately 50% - 60% of local approximately 3% of the total community emissions. As an organization the City Kitchener plays an important role in both corporate and community climate action efforts. Corporate Focus First generation The City of Kitchener became a member of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Partners for Climate Protection Program (FCM PCP) in 1994. While it is important to recognize the work we have been doing across the organization, it is equally important to make a renewed and deeper commitment to the work ahead. In 2017 (CAO-17-003, CAO- 17-004), Council adopted a corporate GHG target of 8% from our 2016 baseline by 2026. At the time, this first-generation target was understood to be achievable and ambitious. However, there was a great deal of uncertainty about the pathways forward to achieving the goal. This 8% target was seen as a for the organization to motivate progress. In April 2019, Council endorsed the City of first CorCAP (DSD-19-094). Staff was directed to complete a 3-year monitoring program on the CorCAP to assess progress towards the target with possible consideration for establishing a deeper GHG reduction target. Yearly Sustainability Reports were released in 2020 and 2021 to track ongoing implementation progress. These reports, along with Appendix B, illustrate our progress and that we have met our corporate GHG emissions reduction target. Given that the City of Kitchener has met its initial CorCAP reduction targets, the is coming to a close. This report completes FCM PCP corporate milestones 4 and 5. The City can re-engage anew in the FCM PCP corporate milestone framework. The organization is now positioned to focus its GHG emission reduction work on alignment with unanimously endorsed TransformWR framework (the minimum targets, pathways, and actions that are attached as Appendix A) and to integrating the community level milestones 2030 and 2050. Next generation Corporate Climate Action Planning Integrating corporate and community climate action for transformation is an important focus of the corporate climate action work ahead. The next generation City of Kitchener CorCAP will incorporate the TransformWR framework (the minimum targets, pathways, and actions) Throughout 2022, staff will continue to implement initiatives that align with planned work in Facilities Management, Fleet, streetlighting and corporate waste. In parallel, staff will be planning for the next CorCAP target(s) and identifying potential pathways to achieve the target(s). Given that 2030 is the next significant milestone year, as identified in the TransformWR framework, and is just over 8 years away, staff plan to align the next CorCAP to launch at the beginning of 2023 and set a 2026 target. This is purposeful in three ways: 1. It provides a midpoint to 2030 to provide an overall assessment on how well the City is doing in its own GHG reductions 2. It aligns the target date and pathways with the term of Council; ultimately ensuring that the newly formed Council sets the interim target and identifies the appropriate resourcing to achieve the target. 3. It allows alignment with the City of Kitchener Strategic Plan work Furthermore, 2022 will be a time in which staff will ensure alignment and streamlined reporting efforts across the organizations and related frameworks. STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT: This report supports Environmental Leadership. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Capital Budget The recommendations have no impact on the Capital Budget at this time. Operating Budget The recommendations have no impact on the Operating Budget at this time. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: INFORM the council / committee meeting. PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES: Previous reports on this matter include: 1994-10-05 CSD-13-108 Community Climate Action Plan and Corporate GHG Reduction Initiatives CSD-14-028 Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation CAO-15-024 City of Kitchener Corporate Climate Action Plan Terms of Reference CAO-17-003 Corporate Climate Action Plan Phase 1 Report CAO-17-004 Corporate Climate Action Plan - Phase 1 CSD-17-046 Community Climate Action Plan Progress Report INS -18- 024 Long Term Community GHG Reduction Target DSD-19-094 Corporate Climate Action Plan DSD-2021-94 Community Climate Action Plan - TransformWR Strategy APPROVED BY: Justin Readman, General Manager, Development Services ATTACHMENTS: Attachment A TransformWR Framework Attachment B City of Kitchener Corporate Climate Action Plan Progress Update Appendix A - TransformWR Framework The City of Kitchener will build its second-generation Corporate Climate Action Plan by TransformWR (DSD-21-6 transformative changes, associated strategies and 50 actions for Kitchener to enable are listed below: Transformative Change #1: By 2050, most trips are taken using active transportation, with the support of a robust public transit system. Strategy 1.1: Redesign, rebuild, and maintain our transportation system to prioritize active transportation. Action City of Kitchener Role Action 1.1.1: Plan a network of major active transportation corridors across cities and townships, that will provide high-volume priority travel for walking, Lead cycling, and rolling to key destinations across the region, as well as access to public transit. Action 1.1.2: Plan for and build neighbourhood connections to the active Lead transportation network. Action 1.1.3: Implement further policies across the region to prioritize active Lead transportation in road and trail design and reconstruction. Action 1.1.4: Identify and implement policy and program opportunities to de- Lead incentivize driving. Action 1.1.5: Design and maintain active transportation infrastructure to Lead ensure year-round access, safety, and comfort for people of all abilities. Strategy 1.2: Continue to build a robust and accessible public transit system that conveniently and safely serves people across the community Action City of Kitchener Role Action 1.2.2: Ensure priority access for walking, cycling, and rolling to transit Collaboration stations and bus stops. Action 1.2.4: Connect people to intercity, multimodal, and emerging Lead transportation solutions. Strategy 1.3: Support people to walk, cycle, or roll, and build a culture of active transportation and public transit ridership Action City of Kitchener Role Action 1.3.1: Launch micro mobility systems (bike, e-bike and e-scooter- Lead sharing systems) in Waterloo Region communities. Action City of Kitchener Role Action 1.3.2: Expand and innovate on existing programming (e.g., Travelwise) that supports employers and employees in making active transportation and Participant transit the easy and preferred choice for commuting and business travel. Action 1.3.3: Create community active transportation hubs to provide Collaboration customized support, education, training, and resources. Action 1.3.4: Develop active transportation and transit programs that target Lead equity-deserving communities. Action 1.3.5: Post-pandemic continued adoption of work from home and Participant flexible work schedules for reducing trips or shifting trips to off-peak times. Strategy 1.4: Transition to low-energy movement of commercial goods Action City of Kitchener Role Action 1.4.1 Increase the efficiency of commercial goods movement. Support Strategy 1.5: Build compact urban and settlement areas that are efficient for energy, services, infrastructure, and transportation, and make existing and new communities Action City of Kitchener Role - Lead daily needs by walking, cycling, or rolling. Action 1.5.2: Implement design standards for new developments to build for Lead walking, cycling, and rolling to be the primary mode of travel. Action 1.5.3: Site key community services, health facilities, subsidized housing, etc., in central areas where they can be easily accessed using the Participant active transportation and public transit systems. Transformative Change #2: By 2050, remaining personal and commercial vehicles are zero emissions vehicles. Strategy 2.1: Switch personal and commercial vehicles to zero emission vehicles. Action City of Kitchener Role Action 2.1.1: Complete a region-wide electric vehicle strategy. Collaboration Action 2.1.2: Plan and begin to implement a transition to zero emission Lead vehicles for municipal fleets, working towards a goal of at least half of municipal vehicles being zero emissions by 2030. Action 2.1.3: Plan and begin to implement the transition of commercial vehicle Participant fleets to zero emissions vehicles. Action City of Kitchener Role Action 2.1.5: Develop and implement an electric vehicle public outreach and Support communication strategy for personal vehicles. Strategy 2.2: Build a network of charging/refueling infrastructure to support the shift to zero emission vehicles. Action City of Kitchener Role Action 2.2.1: Provide more public electric vehicle charging stations in public Participant spaces, commercial spaces and other places visited by the public. Action 2.2.2: Require all new residential parking spaces, and a portion of new Lead non-residential parking spaces, to be constructed as "EV-ready". Transformative Change #3: By 2050, businesses and homes no longer use fossil fuels for space heating and cooling, and water heating Strategy 3.1: Decarbonize building heating and cooling, and water heating, by replacing furnaces and hot water heaters with highly energy efficient and low-carbon equipment or fuel sources. Action City of Kitchener Role Action 3.1.2: Implement a public literacy campaign to explain and promote the adoption of electric heat pumps for space and water heating in residential and Participant commercial buildings. Action 3.1.3: Switch home and business heating and water heating off of fossil Participant fuels. Action 3.1.4: Investigate and plan for full replacement of natural gas with other, non-fossil fuel sources, such as a combination of renewable natural gas Lead and hydrogen 3.1.5: Identify and implement necessary supports to transition anyone still Support using fuel oil, or propane for heating to other fuel sources by 2025. Action 3.1.6: Install renewable energy generation in business and residential Participant buildings. Action 3.1.7: Support households on lower incomes with building envelope improvements, electrifying space and water heating, and renewable energy Support generation. Action 3.1.8: Identify opportunities to incentivize landlords to perform energy Support efficiency upgrades Action 3.1.9: Offer innovative loans for energy-related residential and Lead commercial building upgrades. Action 3.1.10: Create a one-window service to support energy-related Collaboration upgrades for homes and businesses Strategy 3.2: Build new buildings to be net-zero carbon or build to transition to net-zero carbon. Action City of Kitchener Role Action 3.2.3: Develop region-wide building standards to encourage and Lead support zero-carbon development of all new buildings in the region. Action 3.2.4: Incorporate energy planning considerations into the development Lead application review process Action 3.2.7: Show leadership by building net-zero carbon in the public sector. Lead #4: By 2050, Waterloo Region uses less, wastes less, and no longer disposes of organic matter in landfills. Strategy 4.1: Optimize the use of existing waste management infrastructure, including expanding diversion programs and energy capture from waste. Action City of Kitchener Role Action 4.1.3: Support the use of compost/organics collection programs for all Participant commercial buildings. Strategy 4.2: Use less and use it again. Action City of Kitchener Role Action 4.2.1: Implement community waste reduction and circular economy Lead campaigns. Action 4.2.4: Reduce unnecessary building demolitions and construction Lead waste. #5: By 2050, Waterloo Region has a thriving local food system built on local farming and food processing that feeds much of our community. Strategy 5.1: Protect agricultural land and the local agricultural system. Action City of Kitchener Role Action 5.1.1: Continue to develop and enforce robust land use planning Lead protections for prime agricultural land. Strategy 5.3: Support leadership in farming communities to plan and lead GHG reduction efforts, such as improving livestock production efficiency, reducing, and replacing fossil fuels, and sequestering carbon. Action City of Kitchener Role Action 5.3.1: Support the reduction of GHG emissions from livestock, and Support develop methane capture and energy production from manure Strategy 5.4: Adopt low GHG emission diets. Action City of Kitchener Role Action 5.4.2: Provide a variety of low GHG food options plant-based dining Participant options in local restaurants, grocery stores, and catered events. Transformative Change #6: By 2050, Waterloo Region has leveraged reducing GHG emissions to increase equity, prosperity, and resiliency for all. Strategy 6.1: Prioritize increasing equity throughout GHG reduction planning Action City of Kitchener Role Action 6.1.1: Establish metrics to measure progress on increasing equity Lead through GHG reduction initiatives in our community. Action 6.1.2: Incorporate education on sustainability justice and equity into Participant climate action planning. Action 6.1.3: Fund a climate justice committee led by community members Lead from equity-seeking groups. Action 6.1.4: Provide specialized resources/support to organizations on Support prioritizing equity while planning their transition. Action 6.1.6: Build reciprocal relationships between Indigenous groups and local municipalities and climate action organizations to ensure GHG reduction Participant work is done in equitable ways that respect the land and traditions of Indigenous groups. Action 6.1.8: Apply an equity lens to all the actions in this transformation. Participant Strategy 6.3: Ramp up local renewable energy generation. Action City of Kitchener Role Action 6.3.2: Implement a public literacy campaign for homeowners and Support property owners on renewable energy systems. Action 6.3.3: Implement a literacy and awareness campaign for commercial Collaboration scale renewable energy generation Action 6.3.4: Evaluate how to identify and protect optimal areas for industrial- Participant scale renewable energy generation. Strategy 6.5: Coordinate climate advocacy to senior levels of government ActionCity of Kitchener Role Action 6.5.1: Bring community organizations and local government together to collectively identify and communicate advocacy priorities to multiple levels of Lead government. APPENDIX B City of Kitchener Corporate Climate Action Plan Progress Update The following is a progress update on the implementation of the City of Kitchener Corporate Climate Action Plan (CorCAP). This content supports the completion of corporate milestone 5 in the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Partners for Climate Protection Program (FCM PCP). Section 1. GHG emissions inventory update Overall Corporate GHG Emissions 2016-2020 The City of Kitchener released annual corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventories as part of its Corporate Sustainability Office Reports in 2020 and 2021. 2022 provides an opportunity for staff to focus on ensuring alignment and streamlined reporting efforts across the organizations and related frameworks as it begins the FCM PCP corporate milestone program anew. Overall corporate emissions have dropped by 20 percent from 2016 (Figure 1). From a by 8% or 875 tonnes while the actual reduction was 20% or 2,629 tonnes. Figure 1: City of Kitchener Corporate GHG emissions 2016-2020 GHG Emissions by Corporate Focus Area There are five GHG emission focus areas within the organization. These include City of Kitchener owned buildings, fleet, streetlighting, pumping stations and corporate waste. CƌĻĻƷ ЌАі {ƷƩĻĻƷƌźŭŷƷźƓŭ Ћі tǒƒƦźƓŭ {ƷğƷźƚƓƭ Њі ‘ğƭƷĻ Ѝі .ǒźƌķźƓŭ ЎЏі Figure 1: 2020 City of Kitchener Corporate GHG emissions by Focus Area Visualizing GHG emissions by corporate focus area (Figure 2) can help to prioritize climate action work across the organization while keeping in mind a few important aspects regarding corporate waste. Waste While waste may appear to be a small part of corporate emissions, methane from waste is a much more potent and harmful GHG than other types of emissions. Furthermore, while the GHG emissions from all corporate focus areas have decreased since 2016 this is not true for corporate waste which has increased by 10% (Table 1). A focus on waste is a Corporate Focus Area 2016 tonnes 2020 tonnes %Change Buildings 5,838 4,667 -20% Fleet 3,583 3,064 -14% Streetlighting 506 155 -69% Pumping Stations 134 52 -61% Waste 336 370 +10% Total 10,397 8,308 -20% Table 1: Percent Change in GHG emissions by Corporate Focus Area 2016-2020 Buildings and Fleet City buildings and fleet are responsible for the largest amount of Corporate GHG emissions. The GHG emissions from buildings and fleet have seen decreases even though total square footage of our building stock and unit counts of fleet assets (fleet vehicles and equipment) have grown. Streetlighting Streetlights experienced the greatest decrease in their contribution to corporate GHG emissions. Two significant LED streetlight conversion projects are described in section 2 of this appendix. Pumping Stations Pumping Stations accounted for only 1% of corporate emissions in 2020. They have also seen a significant decrease in emissions overall. Pumping station efficiency efforts are described in section 2 of this appendix. Meeting the Goal and the Impacts of the Covid-19 Pandemic In 2020 the City of Kitchener met its corporate GHG emissions reduction target of 8%. This is ahead of schedule by 5 years and exceeding the target by 12%. While there is demonstrated commitment across the organization to climate action, there is also recognition that the Covid-19 pandemic has likely influenced this outcome. Some corporate emissions will have been avoided, others shifted and some increased due to pandemic response efforts. For example, some corporate emissions will have shifted from corporate emissions to community emissions as staff moved from working at a municipal facility to working remotely from home. Other corporate emissions will have been avoided due to the mandated closure of municipal programs and facilities. And finally, some emissions may have increased for example as field staff traveled in singly occupied vehicles rather than as a team to the job site. There will indeed be pandemic response learnings applicable to future corporate climate action work. Section 2. Notable Projects A. Mitigation Buildings and Pumping Stations The following section is a sampling of notable projects that were undertaken between 2019 and 2021. The projects highlighted below illustrate three approaches to reducing GHG emissions in buildings and pumping stations including: light emitting diode (LED) upgrades, geothermal hydronic improvements, and variable frequency drives. Light Emitting Diode (LED) Upgrades LED lights are up to 80% more efficient than traditional lighting. These upgrades have been a consistent and important aspect of the CorCAP implementation. Table 2 illustrates the costs and savings of these projects. It may be important to note the sources of the information as follows: The costs listed below are actual costs for the project. The energy usage estimates, and financial savings are from third party proposals for the projects. The GHG reductions are based on the proposed kilowatt hours saved. The electricity emission factor is from 2014 as listed by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in the milestone 5 template. The return on investment was anticipated at the time of implementation. Approximately 13 LED retrofit projects occurred at City facilities from 2019 2021. Table 2 further describes four of these projects. Table 1: 4 examples of completed LED Lighting Projects at City Facilities Project Cost Energy Energy GHG Return on Name Savings Reduction Reduction Investment ($/year) per year (Tonnes/year) Kitchener $232,650.65 $55,442.89 369,619.297 48.05 4.2 years Memorial kWh Auditorium Centreville $25,234.72 $1,357.14 9047.62 1.17 18.6 years Chicopee kWh Centre Community Centre Breithaupt $65,935.11 $15,526.45 103509.69 13.45 4.2 years Community kWh Centre Grand $23,571.99 $1,924.80 12832 kWh 1.66 12.2 years River Arena Geothermal Hydronic Improvements It is understood that the current electricity grid in Ontario is less carbon intense than natural gas sources. Any project that shifts from a gas source to an electricity source will have associated greenhouse gas reductions. A project that exemplifies this shift is the geothermal improvements at the Kitchener Operations Facility. This project improved the controllability of heat distribution from the heat pump loop enabling heat pumps for in-floor heating thereby shifting reliance from gas to electricity use. Installation of Variable Frequency Drivers A variable frequency drive (VFD) can vary the power supplied to match the energy requirement of a piece of equipment and can save energy through optimizing energy consumption. The drive can dramatically reduce energy consumption when compared to direct-on-line operation, where the motor runs at full speed regardless of the demand. This type of project was completed in 2019 with installation of VFD technology on the heating pumps at Kitchener City Hall. Pumping Stations Pumping stations experienced a 61% decrease in their emissions from 2016-2020. While pumping stations are total emissions, any opportunity to make pumping stations more efficient will continue to be assessed as we move forward. Best practices at the pumping stations have included LED retrofits and installation of lighting timers. Streetlights Both the Community Climate Action Plan (2013) and the CorCAP identified streetlighting as an important energy efficiency project. The following will describe two separate projects, the first being the conversion of cobra head streetlights and the second the conversion of decorative streetlights. The focus of the conversion in Kitchener was to upgrade and standardize outdoor lighting to LED technology - where possible with controls - for further efficiencies, analytics, and functionality. streetlights were converted from HPS to LED fixtures in 2017, along with the build-out of Currently, effort is underway to covert decorative streetlighting to LED fixtures. This project will convert 2,689 decorative streetlights, saving an estimated 887,343 kilowatts annually. This represents a 62% energy reduction and will have an estimated $177,468 in annual energy savings. The anticipated pay back is 10.7 years. Fleet The CorCAP outlined actions to achieve through technology, alternative fuels, and electrification. There is an integrated demonstration of commitment across the organization to reducing GHG emissions from corporate fleet. For example, the Sustainability Office is invited to support the annual equipment review process. As part of the annual equipment review process, considering if a piece of equipment could be electrified is a requirement. A specific question pointing to this action is part of the corporate form used across the entire organization. Finally, there are efforts to support fleet optimization through monitoring systems to assess and recognize driver behaviour as well. Idle reduction technology City fleet vehicles are required to keep safety lights on when stopped in the right-of-way. This requirement necessitates the idling of fleet vehicles. Idle reduction technology enables safety and accessory systems to operate (e.g., maintaining cabin temperature, power to onboard systems, work-specific functions, and other important safety features that would be otherwise disabled when the engine is turned off). The City of Kitchener began installing test units in vehicles late 2019, early 2020 and there are now 25 vehicles with this technology. Idle reduction technology has enabled a total cost savings of $18,815.37, saved 13,538.55 liters in fuel consumption, and led to a reduction of 31,346.51 kilograms of GHG emissions. Electrification Action 2.1.2 of the TransformWR Strategy provides a corporate goal of 50% of fleet vehicles being zero emissions by 2030. Currently 5 percent of municipal vehicles are electric vehicles (EV) or hybrid. As the City increases the number of EVs in the fleet, the need for expanded charging infrastructure is anticipated. In 2021, The City received funding from The Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP) funded by National Resources Canada (NRCan) to begin to address this need. The ability to electrify the fleet is in part dependent on adequate and appropriate charging infrastructure. This EV charging is suitable for light duty vehicles, however, as electrification options for higher duty fleet vehicles becomes available, further infrastructure investments will be required. City of Kitchener is also working to electrify the small engine equipment used by staff. From 2016 to 2021, the percent of electric handheld equipment has increased by 23 percent. Waste The City does not own or operate a solid waste disposal facility. Its accounting of solid waste is that which is generated by employees and at public facilities (such as community centers, parks, and recreation facilities) and events. There are two projects that were undertaken and are listed below: Downtown Waste Diversion Project The Downtown Waste Diversion Pilot in 2019 focused on 14 businesses in the downtown core. The pilot diverted food waste from the landfill to the local energy grid. Food waste was separated from other garbage by restaurant staff and the individual bins were collected by Working Centre Job Café staff. The waste was then hauled to a local processing plant where it was turned into green energy through anaerobic digestion. The pilot resulted in 211.56 tonnes of waste diverted from landfill to the anaerobic digester which generated 85,682 kW of electricity and saved 48 tonnes of GHG from being expelled. This project was paused due to the pandemic, and related covid mandated restaurant closures. Waste Diversion Tent In the 2019-2022 City of Kitchener Strategic Plan, Environmental Leadership was identified as a goal and waste acknowledged as a community and corporate priority. Action 2.5 in the City of Kitchener strategic plan identifies waste diversion from landfills by implementing diversion programs at facilities and events by 2021. Due to the pandemic, large public events were cancelled, and this project was paused. Prior to the pandemic, in late 2019 and early 2020, the waste diversion tent featured a volunteer run diversion station, encouraging event attendees to properly dispose of all waste streams (organics, recycling, or landfill). 81 hours of service was provided by 20 waste diversion station volunteers at city run events. A focus on waste diversion across the organization continues. A research project at the Kitchener Market was able to proceed and is nearing completion. The focus of the research project is to understand how to make finding and utilizing waste receptacles more accessible for all visitors especially those with visual impairment. Results of this research project are anticipated in 2022 and may inform future work on corporate waste. Policy Work: Energy Retrofits In 2019, Council approved the Energy Retrofit Reserve Fund. The purpose of this policy is to provide funds to finance projects that result in energy savings. Projects will be designed for a two-to-seven-year payback period with the savings from approved projects repaying the initial investment from the reserve. Corporate Green Building Design In 2019, Kitchener council updated the corporate green building design standard for new 2 buildings greater than 500 m in size from LEED-Gold to an energy intensity-based target of 25 percent energy improvement above Ontario Building Code Regulation 388/18 or Net Zero Ready/Net Zero energy (where site conditions allow). This is to promote substantial energy efficiency, resilience to extreme weather, improvements to air quality and natural systems. There will be long term operational cost savings in building more energy efficient and resilient assets. Building Internal Capacity: The organization has been building internal staff capacity for the climate action work. Some examples of this include: Creation of Sustainability Office and the creation of 2 roles: Corporate Sustainability Officer (2018) and Sustainability Office Associate (2019) New Facilities Management FTE(s) to support work through the green building policy, continuous improvements of project selection and design to reduce operation costs and GHG emissions New Kitchener Utilities FTE that will develop, and implement, a Kitchener Utilities Low -Carbon Sustainable Business Strategy B. Adaptation CorCAP aims to achieve meaningful and measurable carbon emission reductions, while also adapting to impacts resulting from climate change. Based on climate projections undertaken by ICLEI Canada and the University of Waterloo Intact Centre for Climate Adaptation as well as internal corporate research and staff engagement, the following corporate risks were identified as high priority for action: Increased tree mortality rates and change in the urban forest composition due to increase in hot weather and decreased summer precipitation Extensive tree damage, power outages, property damage and disruption to transportation networks due to more frequent extreme windstorms and more freezing rain events Severe flooding causing significant damage to public infrastructure and private property, potentially forcing residents to evacuate their homes, businesses to shut down and the City to declare a state of emergency Urban Forestry Kitchener has an urban forest that covers more than 27% of the city (2019). This urban forest is impacted by climate change. Less predictable winters and hotter and drier summers are impacting the tree species that are native to this climate zone. Invasive species that were once less able to spread are more readily able to establish, spread and impact native species. The realities of climate change on changing weather patterns, particularly an increasing number of summer downburst and intense wind events are highlighting in stark reality the challenges being faced bythe existing urban forest. This urban forest also plays a vital role in the ability of Kitchener as a community to adapt and mitigate the community impacts of climate change. Trees absorb carbon and sequester it; they help clean the air we breathe; absorb water and play a vital role in helping both clean and reduce stormwater runoff. Trees also play a critical role in offsetting urban heat island effect. (2019) and (2021) The City of Kitchener endorsed a Sustainable Urban Forest Strategy in 2019 and a tree canopy target of 30% per ward by 2050 and 33% City-wide average by 2070. Both the policy and the associated target highlight the vital nature of the urban forest in respect to climate change. Together, these strategies underline the importance of effective management, careful planning, community engagement in, and protection of the existing canopy to maximize its resilience to climate change effects, and, in turn, retain and improve it for its climate change benefits. They also reflect on the value to be gained by growing the urban forest canopy equitably to ensure that all communities in Kitchener can derive benefits that help communities mitigate and adapt to climate change. Flooding Integrated Stormwater Management Master Plan Given one of the biggest climate change risks to the City of Kitchener is extreme precipitation and resultant flooding, the Integrated Stormwater Management Master Plan is a considerable asset to climate adaptation planning. The Plan focuses on effects of infrastructure in built up urban areas, which are at higher risk, with solutions to mitigate negative effects on human and animal health from increased flooding and creek erosion and overwhelming of the municipal storm sewer system resulting in flooding. High and medium risk areas are prioritized accordingly. Key areas of integration include municipal pollution prevention, operations & maintenance; stormwater for the capital roads program (conveyance controls); stormwater infrastructure, and stormwater management facilities. RBJ Schlegel Park Federation of Canadian funded by the Government of Canada. The Park, is a 17-hectare park boasting state-of- the art stormwater management features, including: retention and infiltration of the first 25mm of rain fall up to the 48-hour regional storm event, with onsite storage capacity of 2,500,000 litres of water retention and infiltration pond Rain garden treatment and infiltration of parking lot runoff Oil/grit separation of roadway runoff Centralized infiltration gallery supporting the dry retention pond and all site runoff Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Funding 75% of urban areas in the City of Kitchener lack adequate stormwater management that helps to protect against flooding. From 2019 to 2028, the City of Kitchener is receiving nearly $50 million in funding from the federal government for the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF) to implement gray and green infrastructure throughout the city. This funding will implement important stormwater management initiatives and advance the work on such project elements as: water improvement program, creek erosion, and upgrade and repair work along the Bridgeport dike. Urban Planning Green urban design guidelines and capital planning process green design standard The Urban Design Manual (UDM) was created to detail the city's urban design guidelines and standards including green areas, stormwater management facilities, landscape design, community trails and building design. The new Urban Design Manual was approved in September 2019, replacing the original manual. The UDM is divided into three parts, Part A being delivered in 2019, and provides guidelines for various types of land use and built forms, as well as a long-range city-wide design section. The UDM covers 13 sections, which were added or expanded on several areas, which included adding 'Design for Sustainability' guidelines (in each section) with sub-headings for 'Health & Well Being', 'Design for Climate Change' and 'Design for Wildlife'. In Part C, there are specific standards, and this section has not yet been updated and is resourced to be complete in mid-2023. Comprehensive Review of the Zoning By-law The comprehensive review of existing zoning by-laws (CRoZBy) developed a new Zoning Bylaw 2019-051 which had six areas of focus, including the environment: Introduction of electric vehicle parking requirements, minimum bike parking, and no minimum automobile parking requirements in the Urban Growth Center Natural heritage conservation zones reflective of flood zones, woodlands, and other environmental features A new major infrastructure zone that includes stormwater management facilities This concludes a sampling of notable projects. 3. Engagement A requirement of the FCM PCP Milestone Five is to report on how corporate and community stakeholders have been engaged and have had an opportunity to participate in the PCP Milestone process. In 2015, the CEnvironmental Committee endorsed a comprehensive plan for climate change for the City of Kitchener by which a CorCAP terms of reference was created. In establishing the corporate target, the Environmental Committee had been consulted throughout the process and the committee specifically endorsed the 8 percent corporate GHG emissions reduction target in 2017. For the development of the CorCAP in 2019, extensive consultation has occurred with staff through a variety of engagement sessions, including information sharing at events, site tours, workshops, and working with staff on each action item to develop alignment with other work programs. The CorCAP steering committee and staff working on the project consisted of staff from Parks & Cemeteries, Roads & Traffic, Asset Management, Facilities Management Operating, Parking Enterprise, Corporate Sustainability, Finance, Sport Operating, Kitchener Utilities, Fleet, Stormwater Utility, Emergency Management and Business Continuity. The CorCAP Steering committee was consulted via meetings and email throughout the plan development. In addition, there was a series of online engagement tactics (webpage, polls, and blogposts). Community consultation efforts included the Compass Kitchener survey, the budget engagement process, and the Leisure Facilities Master Plan consultation.