HomeMy WebLinkAboutEnv - 2016-03-17 - Item 1 -Presentaiton - Climate Change Warning Lavels on Gas Pumps
Date:March 1, 2016
To:Environmental Committee
From:Barbara Steiner, Senior Environmental Planner
Subject:Climate Change Warning Labels on Gas Pumps
Our Horizon is a Canadian, national, not-for-profit organization whose mandate is to speak to
municipal governments about requiring climate change labels on gas pumps. Their website
describes the idea as a low-cost, globally-scalable intervention to communicate the hidden costs
of fossil fuels to end users and drive change upstream. The concept was developed by Our
Horizon‘s founder and Toronto-based lawyer Robert Shirkey. The history of the organization
and concept are outlined in two articles from Municipal World written by Mr. Shirky (attached).
Since early 2015, various municipalities across the country have considered the matter. Locally,
both the City of Guelph and the City of Waterloo have passed resolutions on this issue.
Both municipalities recommended advancing their support of warning labels for consideration at
the 2016 Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) conference to be held in June. They
have requested that FCM consider their recommendation that all vendors of retail petroleum
products in Canada be legislated to provide warning labels on all pump handles (pump talkers)
and/or pump panels, and that those companies who do not have this feature on their pump
handle be obligated to fit them with the plastic sleeves which will allow warning labels to be
displayed.
The resolutions of both Guelph and Waterloo are attached for information.
REVIEWED BY: Brandon Sloan, Manager, Long Range & Policy Planning
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climate change
by Robert Shirkey
Update on Pump
Handle Labelling
District of West Vancouver unanimously
passes resolution requesting legislation
In the last issue of Municipal World
Municipal World,
Municipal World
I wrote about how climate change in
-
formation labels on gas pumps draw on
psychology, sociology, economics, and
communications theory to provide greater
impetus to transition to a more sustainable
future. I was advocating that municipalities
use their licensing powers to implement the
idea in their communities and, to that end,
invited the reader to review a 40-page legal
research document on OurHorizon.org.
As an alternative pathway, I also sug
-
gested that a community wishing to pursue
the concept but unsure about its authority
to do so could simply request that the
province amend its municipal legislation to
pass the by-law. Since writing that article,
a new pathway has emerged that is now
getting traction in communities across
Canada.
West Vancouver Resolution
On January 26, 2015, the District of
West Vancouver unanimously passed a
resolution ... that all vendors of retail pe
-
troleum products in Canada be legislated
to provide warning labels on all pump
1
handles ... . This resolution will be voted
ties (FCM) in June 2016. This resolution
on at the annual conference of the Union of
represents a way for communities to sup
British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM)
-
ROBERT SHIRKEY is a lawyer
port the concept with little to no exposure
this September and the annual conference
and founder of Our Horizon, a
of the Federation of Canadian Municipali
-
organization based in Toronto.
might otherwise be invited by passing the
He holds an LL.B. from the Uni
-
concept directly into law.
versity of Victoria and a B.B.A.
District of W
1District of West Vancouver, Council Briefs
In reporting on the resolution, Global
District of W
from Wilfrid Laurier University.
January 26 Council Meeting, <http://west
-He can be reached at <robert@
TV called West Vancouvers vote a his
-
vancouver.ca/news/council-briefs-january-
ourhorizon.org>.
26-council-meeting>.
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Municipal World
April 2015 31
In addition to West Vancouver supporting the
labels, Mayor Smith is personally leading the way
by voluntarily implementing climate change and air
pollution information labels at his gas stations.
-tioned how he appreciated the downstream, the labels are intended to challenge the sta-
tiative, he replied, West Vancouver is al-consumer-facing nature of the intervention. tus quo and encourage a transition to more
-sustainable solutions (which resonates with
Its the nature of our community. Mayor ply for delivering a product that we all use, parties with strong environmental values),
2
Smiths support is a particularly notewor-the idea of shared responsibility resonated. they do so in a way that is non-prescriptive
thy example of leadership as he has been a -
petroleum distributor in the Metro Vancou-ence left me feeling very positive about the those who identify with the right side of the
ver area for close to 30 years.future success of the campaign.political spectrum). There is potential for
During the Global TV interview, Mayor At the time of writing, the District broad political support.
-of Saanich, Vancouver Islands largest
Setting a Path for the
izes that climate change is real. There are a municipality, just passed a resolution to
World to Follow
endorse West Vancouvers resolution. Sev-
in terms of using less product and using it eral communities across Canada are now
Ultimately, the hope is that we will all
in the process of actively considering these
be a part of a story about Canadian leader-
labels, and I anticipate many more will
ship for the world to follow. In 2000, Can-
will not object to. endorse the West Vancouver resolution in
In addition to West Vancouver support-the near future. Up until now, my biggest
to develop picture-based warning labels for
ing the labels, Mayor Smith is personally challenge has been getting a community to
leading the way by voluntarily implement-pass the idea into law using their licensing
to approximately 60 countries and studies
ing climate change and air pollution infor-
show that the labels have helped to change
mation labels at his gas stations. Students
both attitudes and behaviour. Canada has
3
from Capilano Universitys IDEA School forward.
done this before; as a result, people all over
of Design are now designing labels that -
the world have been cognitively primed to
zation, its been a challenge to advance the
adopt our labelling idea.
from University of British Columbias effort without any budget or staff. Even so,
Communities across Canada now have
Sauder School of Business will be con-the campaign has come a long way. Im in-
an easy, tangible way to come together to
credibly grateful for the support of ordinary
support a national precedent for the world
various designs. I left B.C. feeling inspired Canadians: It was a generous citizen in
to follow. Imagine if a simple, inexpensive
by the leadership in that province.-
Canadian policy idea ended up transform-
ing the world.
Positive Response across Canada
with Canadians who opened up their
homes and became fast friends. Im incred-
ibly heartened by the ways in which people
was at FCMs Sustainable Communities
2 Global TV, West Vancouver unanimously
have been supporting this project.
Conference in London, Ontario to share
votes to support warnings on gas pumps,
news of West Vancouvers resolution
<http://globalnews.ca/news/1795333/watch-
west-vancouver-unanimously-votes-to-sup-
build support for this idea at the local level,
with mayors, councillors, and municipal
port-warnings-on-gas-pumps>.
weve also reached out to federal and pro-
staff from across Canada. The idea was
vincial parties to get this item on the radar,
positively received by delegates from all
of the science base to support the development
since successful outcomes at the FCM and
of our provinces and territories (yes, even
provincial equivalents would bring the idea
<http://ec.europa.eu/health/tobacco/docs/warn-
ings_report_en.pdf>.
before other orders of government. While
from a community in Alberta, he men-
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32 Municipal World
April 2015
climate change
by Robert Shirkey
Creating a New Normal
Using air pollution labels on gas pumps as
a step in addressing climate challenges
In early 2013, I launched a not-for-
-
-
-
-
1
2
is a lawyer
ROBERT SHIRKEY
and founder of Our Horizon, a
organization based in Toronto.
He holds an LL.B. from the Uni
-
versity of Victoria and a B.B.A.
from Wilfrid Laurier University.
He can be reached at <robert@
ourhorizon.org>.
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Municipal World
March 2015 9
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Psychology: The Labels Create
Immediate Feedback
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Economics: The Labels
Communicate Externalities
passive observer to active par-
in a Qualitative Way
ticipant
How These Labels Change
the Conversation
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Sociology: The Labels Address
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of Responsibility
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Communication:
The Medium Is the Message
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Toronto Star, 4 July,
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10 Municipal World
March 2015
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we are alter-
-ing the fundamentals of our biosphere
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Do Municipalities Have Legal
Authority to Pursue It?
A Final Question: Why Wouldnt
Municipal World and con-
We Have These Labels?
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Municipal World
March 2015 11