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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDSD-2021-94 - Community Climate Action Plan - TransformWR StrategyStaff Report Dbvelo n7ent Services Department REPORT TO: Planning & Strategic Initiatives Committee DATE OF MEETING: Monday, June 14th, 2021 www. kitchener ca SUBMITTED BY: Readman, Justin, General Manager, Development Services, 519-741-2200 x 7646 PREPARED BY: Tavenor, Samantha, Sustainability Office Associate, 519-741- 2200 ext. 7137 WARD(S) INVOLVED: All Wards DATE OF REPORT: Monday, May 10th, 2021 REPORT NO.: DSD -2021-94 SUBJECT: Community Climate Action Plan - TransformWR Strategy RECOMMENDATION: That the attached TransformWR strategy (Appendix A to report DSD -2021-94) be endorsed as the community climate change mitigation strategy for City of Kitchener; and, That staff be directed to develop detailed plans to implement the TransformWR strategy and report back on any funding implications through future budget processes; and, That staff be directed to work with local partners on implementation, monitoring, and reporting progress on the goals outlined in the strategy; and, That the City of Kitchener advocate for provincial and federal support and action to achieve the community transformations outlined in TransformWR (Appendix A to report DSD -2021-94); and, That an FTE be added to support Kitchener Utilities with developing, and implementing, a Kitchener Utilities Low -Carbon Sustainable Business Strategy that will support the transition to reduce greenhouse gases; and further, That this report be submitted to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities as the City of Kitchener's community scope progress on the Partners for Climate Protection Program Milestones 1-3 as renewed. *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. REPORT HIGHLIGHTS: • The purpose of this report is to seek endorsement of the TransformWR strategy as the collaboratively developed guiding document to achieve Waterloo Region's Community Climate Action Plan targets. It is the broad umbrella strategy under which municipalities, businesses, organizations, and households will work to transition our community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. • The key finding of this report is that the strategy contains a 10 -year plan for work to be completed to reach an interim 2030 target and to lay the groundwork to substantially transform Waterloo Region by 2050. A summary of the actions for which the City of Kitchener is responsible as lead, co -lead, support, or participant is available in Appendix B to report DSD -2021-94. • The financial implications will be developed as staff complete detailed plans to implement TransformWR and will be identified through future budget processes. • Community engagement included ClimateActionWR connecting with over 1,600 community members to discuss what they wanted the low -carbon future of Waterloo Region to look like and to help shape the strategy. • This report supports strategic goals of People -friendly Transportation and Environmental Leadership. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The TransformWR strategy was developed through the ClimateActionWR collaborative. Led by Reep Green Solutions and Sustainable Waterloo Region, and funded by the cities and the Region, ClimateActionWR focuses on climate change mitigation (reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions). To create the community's long-term climate action plan, all four townships in the region joined the collaborative, and funding was secured from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to support this project. In 2018 all eight councils endorsed an 80% greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target over 2010 levels by 2050.The TransformWR strategy is built on two distinct GHG emission reduction targets, both of which are based on 2010 levels; the long-term `80by50' target to reduce GHG emissions 80% by 2050, and the short-term `30by30' interim target to reduce GHG emissions 30% by 2030. There are six Transformative Changes that act as roadmap to transition Waterloo Region to a low carbon community. The Transformative Changes are supported by 78 actions along with key milestones to help track progress. The City of Kitchener is responsible as lead, co -lead, collaborator, support, or participant for 44 actions. In order to ensure that the strategy is achievable, backcasting work was done by WalterFedy to help define the `80by50' target and the cumulative carbon budget available to Waterloo Region. Next steps is the endorsement of TransformWR strategy by all eight municipal Councils in May and June 2021 developing detailed strategy implementation plans and devoting staff time, will be necessary. The City of Kitchener is the only municipality within the Region that owns and is the regulator for a natural gas utility. The strategy recognizes this and considers Kitchener Utilities as a utility, rather than a division of the municipality. This considers Kitchener Utilities in the same category as Enbridge Gas Inc. who is regulated by the Ontario Energy Board. Kitchener Utilities and Enbridge worked collaboratively and submitted joint comments through the public comment process on TransformWR strategy. Kitchener Utilities supports the community shift to a low -carbon future. The current efforts in developing the business case for district energy in downtown Kitchener is one example of opportunities to diversify the current energy portfolio. The work to develop, investigate and strategize on a low -carbon sustainable business model for Kitchener Utilities will require dedicated resources to position the utility for success in a low -carbon future. Gas utilities are positioned to support Ontario's clean energy transition and cost-effective solutions to leverage existing infrastructure and innovative technologies. BACKGROUND: City of Kitchener is a long-standing member of the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program which is administered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). PCP sets out a five -milestone framework to reduce GHG emissions for both corporate and community scopes. Through this program, the City of Kitchener has both a corporate and community GHG target. Corporate On April 23, 2014 Council directed staff to prepare a terms of reference for an integrated mitigation and adaptation climate action plan for the City of Kitchener. On November 16, 2015 (CAO -15-024) Council approved the Corporate Climate Action Plan (CorCAP) terms of reference following the PCP framework. On February 13, 2017 (CAO -17-004), Council approved an 8% absolute GHG target and established steering committee to guide development of CorCAP. The City's Corporate Climate Action Plan was endorsed by Council in April 2019 (DSD -2019-094). Community On November 18, 2013 (CSD -13-108), the Region of Waterloo and Cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo endorsed in principle the Climate Action Plan to reduce our community greenhouse gas emissions following the PCP framework. On April 28, 2014 (CSD -14-028), Council approved recommendation to enter into a collaborative service agreement for facilitation of a community Climate Action Plan. On May 29, 2017 (CSD -17- 046), Kitchener Council received Our Progress, Our Path report which showed an overall GHG decrease in Waterloo Region by approximately 5% between 2010 and 2015. On April 9 2018 (INS -18-024), the 80by50 target was endorsed by each municipal council across Waterloo Region: the Region of Waterloo, the Cities of Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo, and the Townships of North Dumfries, Wellesley, Wilmot, and Woolwich. On June 24, 2019, the City of Kitchener declared a climate state of emergency. This report is to outline the Transform WR strategy as the guiding document for community greenhouse gas reductions and recommends endorsement of the strategy. REPORT: Technical Pathway Transform WR is a community -wide strategy. Municipalities are key capacity holders in the transition to a low -carbon community, and as a result, this strategy is intended to guide bold and immediate action by municipalities across Waterloo Region over the next 30 years. The strategy expects the same bold and immediate action from other organizations, businesses, and individuals, and identifies ways to support them in this work. The strategy is to reduce local community greenhouse gas emissions by 80% below 2010 levels by the year 2050 to create an equitable, prosperous, resilient low -carbon community. A key feature of the planning process was "backcasting" approach to identify a community vision for Waterloo Region as a low -carbon community in 2050 and working backward to identify what we need to do to get there. The technical pathway done by WalterFedy, working backwards from the overarching goal of 80by50 has defined a roadmap to 80by50. 80by50 Six Transformative Changes Based on the technical pathway, the TransformWR 30 Year Strategy identifies six Transformative Changes that must be achieved to reduce emissions and achieve an equitable, prosperous, resilient low -carbon community by 2050. Each transformative change is supported by strategies to achieve it. The Six Transformative Changes are: 1) By 2050, most trips are taken using active transportation, with the support of a robust public transit system. 2) By 2050, remaining personal and commercial vehicles are zero emissions vehicles. 3) By 2050, businesses and homes no longer use fossil fuels for space heating and cooling, and water heating. 4) By 2050, Waterloo Region uses less, wastes less, and no longer disposes organic matter in landfills. 5) By 2050, Waterloo Region has a thriving local food system built on local farming and food processing that feeds much of our community. 6) By 2050, Waterloo Region has leveraged reducing GHG emissions to increase equity, prosperity, and resiliency for all. For each Transformative Change, a set of strategies and action items have been identified, along with key milestones to help track progress and achieve our collective vision by 2050. 30bv30 An interim absolute target (total reduction) of a 30% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 has been positioned to have laid a solid foundation for achieving the long-term target of 80by50. Based on Waterloo region population projections, this will reduce emissions 49% per person by the year 2030. The 10 -year plan identifies the overarching key Transformative Changes required of our community by 2050, their associated key strategies to get there, and the specific actions items that must be taken in the first decade. There are a total of 78 action items listed in the strategy. Many action items name more than one lead organization, and in most cases where a municipality is identified, all Area Municipalities and often the Region of Waterloo are also listed as leads. Of those 78, the City of Kitchener is listed on 44, broken out in the following ways: • Lead organization for 22 action items • Collaborating organization for 4 action items • Supporting organization for 4 action items • Participating organization for 14 action items Kitchener Utilities is listed on 10 actions, broken down in the following ways: • Lead organization for 3 action items • Collaborating organization for 2 action items • Supporting organization for 3 action items • "In consultation with" for 1 action item • "With assistance from" for 1 action item Of those 10 action items Kitchener Utilities is listed on, City of Kitchener is also named on 4 of them. A summary of the actions for which City of Kitchener is responsible as lead, co -lead, collaborator, support or participant is available in Appendix B. A summary of the actions for which Kitchener Utilities is responsible as lead, co -lead, collaborator, support or participant is available in Appendix C. 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. 80bv50 Carbon Budget A carbon budget is defined as the maximum amount of greenhouse gases that can be emitted world-wide without increasing the global average temperature more than 1.5°C. The carbon budget for Waterloo Region is based on the 80by50 technical roadmap. As part of declaring a climate state of emergency on June 24, 2019, a motion passed that staff be directed to create an issue paper to be presented to council detailing the community's carbon inventory and the implementation of a carbon budget as an integrated component of the community's climate action plan. As part of the technical pathway, WalterFedy calculated the community's carbon budget and this carbon budget number will allow planning for Waterloo Region's future carbon expenditures. • The total carbon budget for human GHG emissions made within Waterloo Region is 66.84 MtCO2 e Further information on the carbon budget can be found in Appendix D of the Transform WR strategy document (see Appendix A of this report). Kitchener Utilities Impacts and Opportunities As Kitchener Utilities supplies natural gas to heat homes and water, Transformative Change 3, "By 2050, businesses and homes no longer use fossil fuels for space heating and cooling, and water heating", will significantly impact Kitchener Utilities if we do not adapt new technology and transform our business strategy to align with the low -carbon economy. Kitchener Utilities supports the community shift to a low -carbon future and the current efforts to develop the business case for district energy in downtown Kitchener is one example of opportunities to diversify the current energy portfolio. The plan should allow flexibility to provide the ability to investigate and integrate new and renewable sources of natural gas into our portfolio and customer offerings. New information and technologies are emerging related to renewable natural gas and hydrogen. The provincial government is developing a Low -Carbon Hydrogen Strategy as part of the "Made in Ontario Environmental Plan". Kitchener Utilities support the carbon reduction goals by integration of new sources of energy and technology. This work involves strategic planning and research to successfully shift the market and mitigate rate impacts to natural gas customers. Kitchener Utilities will work together with other energy providers and utilities industry experts to align strategies to provide the best options for our community and customers. The work to develop, investigate and strategize on a low -carbon sustainable business model for Kitchener Utilities will require dedicated resources to position the utility for success in a low -carbon future. As organizations are recognizing the importance of new business models and supporting strategies, they are creating dedicated staff resources to lead this work. The utilities are no exception to this. Last November, Enbridge was among the first North American midstream energy companies to set a hard target of net -zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by the year 2050. Business strategies will involve ongoing review and adjustments as new technology and innovative low -carbon options are developed and evolved. As a result, Kitchener Utilities is recommending a dedicated staff position (FTE) to develop, support and implement a strategy specific to Kitchener Utilities to achieve the Transform WR goals. This position is similar to the City's Corporate Sustainability Officer however, the focus is specific to the gas utility and meeting the goals, targets and deliverables for gas supply, delivery and the rental water heater business. Their role will include: Develop a long-term business model and strategy to respond to the TransformWR goals • Plan sustainable programs and incentives to achieve sustainability targets and objectives. • Explore new business opportunities to supply heat and hot water to the residents of Kitchener. • Explore sustainable and affordability options to develop funding models to support ongoing energy efficiency retrofits and building envelop improvements to support lower income households as listed in TransformWR Action Items for Kitchener Utilities. • Research industry best practice and evolving research on new low energy technologies and sources • Support the planning efforts to develop the business case for district energy in the downtown with opportunities to expand in other areas of Kitchener • Work collaboratively with the Corporate Sustainability Officer, other utilities, and industry partners to leverage collective knowledge of best practices and emerging research Next Steps The TransformWR strategy is being considered for approval by all eight municipal Councils in May and June 2021. Subject to council approval, staff will begin developing detailed strategy implementation plans and will report back to council at key milestones. STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT: Strategic Priority: People -friendly Transportation and Environmental Leadership Specifically, the TransformWR strategy achieves the strategic plan action item "develop a Community Climate Action Plan with partner organizations". FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: ClimateActionWR, with support from the Region and all Area Municipalities, received funding from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities through its Transition 2050 program to develop the TransformWR strategy. Annual operating funding for the ClimateActionWR program is provided to Reep Green Solutions and Sustainable Waterloo Region by the Region of Waterloo and the Cities of Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo. The City of Kitchener is responsible as lead, co -lead, collaborator, support, or participant for 78 actions within the TransformWR 10 year plan (Appendix B). To enable implementation, these actions may require additional funding. Funding requirements will be identified as implementation plans are developed and will be brought forward for council consideration through future budget processes. Kitchener Utilities is responsible as lead, co -lead, collaborator, support, or participant for 10 actions within the TransformWR 10 -year plan (Appendix C). Significant effort is required to transform the natural gas utility to a low carbon future. To enable implementation, these actions will require funding support. The magnitude of costs are not know at this time, as a Low -Carbon Sustainable Business Strategy must be developed first. A new staff position, with support from a consultant, is required to develop and advance this critical business strategy. This new FTE position will be funded from existing professional services budget in 2021 and within the current rate model for 2022. Future funding requirements will be identified as implementation plans are developed and will be brought forward for council consideration through future budget processes. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: INFORM This report has been posted to the City's website with the agenda in advance of the council / committee meeting. CONSULT Municipal Consultation In 2018, all seven Area Municipal Councils and Regional Council adopted an 80 by 50 target—an 80% greenhouse gas emission reduction below 2010 levels by 2050. Over the past two years, each municipality has a staff representative on the project team that has led the development of the plan. Members of this team have facilitated consultation with staff throughout their municipalities. Workshops and surveys conducted by WalterFedy to inform the emissions pathway. Engagement Type Response Two technical surveys 57 responses from targeted subject matter ex erts and municipal staff Technical workshops for municipal experts 4 workshops with 65 participants Public/Stakeholder Engagement: Community consultation was a key component of the project throughout the strategy development process. Approximately 1600 community members were engaged during the strategy development process (summer of 2019 – January 2020) using five different methods. This directly informed Our Vision of 2050, and the Principles for Designing a Low Carbon Future, which were key inputs into the development of the technical pathway. For the results of this consultation, see the Community Engagement Summary Report by Unless Design Partners. Most recently, the draft Transform WR strategy was available for public consultation on the EngageWR platform from March 10th to April 12th, 2021. A summary of what was heard in this final consultation, and the changes made in response, is included as Appendix D. Appendix E offers insight into frequently asked questions about TransformWR and the community transformations that are called for in this work. Engagement Type Response Street Teams 35 events and initiatives with over 900 community member participants Postcards from the Future 460 responses from across the Region Activity -Based Workshops 5 workshops with 83 people participated In -Depth Interview Over 50 in-depth interviews with community members from several key groups Formal & Informal Small Group Over 100 conversations took place across Conversations the Regi n with varying degrees of formality EngageWR platform More than 500 people downloaded the full strategy document. The feedback survey was completed by 364 people COLLABORATE Throughout the municipal and public consultation process, input and recommendations made by stakeholders were included in the development of the TransformWR strategy. PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES: • CSD -13-108 - Community Climate Action Plan and Corporate Greenhouse Gas Reduction Initiatives • CSD -14-028 - Climate Change Mitigation & Adaption • CAO -15-024 - City of Kitchener Corporate Climate Action Plan — Terms of Reference • CAO -17-004 - City of Kitchener Corporate Climate Action Plan — Phase 1 Report, establishment of 8 person absolute GHG reduction target and participation in ICLEI's Climate Change, Changing Communities framework • CSD -17-046 - Community Climate Action Plan Progress Report • INS -18-024 - Long Term Community Greenhouse Gas Reduction Target • DSD -19-094 - Corporate Climate Action Plan • DSD -19-231 - Waterloo Region Community Climate Adaptation Plan APPROVED BY: Justin Readman, General Manager, Development Services ATTACHMENTS: Appendix A — TransformWR Appendix B — Summary of Municipal Actions - City of Kitchener Appendix C - Summary of Kitchener Utilities Actions Appendix D - Final Community Consultation Results Summary Appendix E - Frequently Asked Questions about TransformWR Appendix A: TransformWR The TransformWR community climate action strategy, which includes the TransformWR 30 year strategy and 10 year plan can be found on the EngageWR document library: https://www.engagewr.ca/11295/widgets/44228/documents/57312 Appendix B: Summary of Municipal Actions - City of Kitchener Within the Transform WR Strategy, there are a total of 78 action items outlined in the 10 Year Plan. Of these 78 action items, the City of Kitchener has responsibilities outlined in the following ways: • Lead organization for 22 action items • Collaborating organization for 4 action items • Supporting organization for 4 action items • Participating organization for 14 action items Collaboration, 4 Support, 4 The following tables show the specific action items associated with the City of Kitchener. Lead Organization: These organizations will take the lead on planning and implementing the action item, gathering support, and identifying additional collaborators or supporters to drive progress. They will also lead the identification and monitoring of success metrics through the ClimateActionWR collaborative. Note: Many action items name more than one Lead organization, and in most cases where a municipality is identified, all Area Municipalities and often the Region of Waterloo are also listed as Leads. Action Role Status Action 1.1.1: Plan a network of major active Work transportation corridors across cities and townships, Underway that will provide high-volume priority travel for walking, cycling, and rolling to key destinations across the region, as well as access to public transit. Lead Action 1.1.2: Plan for and build neighbourhood Work connections to the active transportation network. Lead Underway Action Role Status Action 1.1.3: Implement further policies across the Work region to prioritize active transportation in road and Underway trail design and reconstruction. Lead Action 1.1.4: Identify and implement policy and Not Started program opportunities to de -incentivize driving. Lead Action 1.1.5: Design and maintain active transportation Work infrastructure to ensure year-round access, safety, and Underway comfort for people of all abilities. Lead Action 1.2.4: Connect people to intercity, multimodal, Work and emerging transportation solutions. Lead Underway Action 1.3.1: Launch micro mobility systems (bike, e- Work bike and e -scooter -sharing systems) in Waterloo Underway Region communities. Lead Action 1.3.4: Develop active transportation and transit Not Started programs that target equity -deserving communities. Lead Action 1.5.1: Create "15 minute neighbourhoods" Not Started where people can meet their daily needs by walking, cycling, or rolling. Lead Action 1.5.2: Implement design standards for new Work developments to build for walking, cycling, and rolling Underway to be the primary mode of travel. Lead Action 2.1.2: Plan and begin to implement a transition Resources to zero emission vehicles for municipal fleets, working Needed towards a goal of at least half of municipal vehicles being zero emissions by 2030. Lead Action 2.2.2: Require all new residential parking Not Started spaces, and a portion of new non-residential parking spaces, to be constructed as "EV -ready". Lead Action 3.1.9: Offer innovative loans for energy-related Resources residential and commercial building upgrades. Lead Needed Work Action 3.2.3: Develop region -wide building standards Underway to encourage and support zero -carbon development of all new buildings in the region. Lead Action 3.2.4: Incorporate energy planning Not Started considerations into the development application review process. Lead Action 3.2.7: Show leadership by building net -zero Work carbon in the public sector. Lead Underway Action Role Status Action 4.2.1: Implement community waste reduction Action 1.3.3: Create community active transportation hubs to provide customized support, education, training, and resources. Not Started and circular economy campaigns. Lead Action 3.1.10: Create a one -window service to support energy- related upgrades for homes and businesses. Action 4.2.4: Reduce unnecessary building demolitions Not Started and construction waste. Lead Action 5.1.1: Continue to develop and enforce robust Work land use planning protections for prime agricultural Underway land. Lead Action 6.1.1: Establish metrics to measure progress on Not Started increasing equity through GHG reduction initiatives in our community. Lead Action 6.1.3: Fund a climate justice committee led by Resources community members from equity -seeking groups. Lead Needed Action 6.5.1: Bring community organizations and local Work government together to collectively identify and Underway communicate advocacy priorities to multiple levels of government. Lead Collaborating Organization: These organizations will work with the lead organization to drive progress toward the goals/metrics, and contribute to the reporting process as relevant to their work. Action Role Action 1.2.2: Ensure priority access for walking, cycling, and rolling to transit stations and bus stops. Collaboration Action 1.3.3: Create community active transportation hubs to provide customized support, education, training, and resources. Collaboration Action 2.1.1: Complete a region -wide electric vehicle strategy. Collaboration Action 3.1.10: Create a one -window service to support energy- related upgrades for homes and businesses. Collaboration Supporting Organization: These organizations will provide support to the lead and collaborating organizations, on an as- needed basis, to drive progress toward the metrics associated with the action items. Action Role Action 1.4.1 Increase the efficiency of commercial goods movement. Support Action 2.1.5: Develop and implement an electric vehicle public outreach and communication strategy for personal vehicles. Support Action 3.1.5: Identify and implement necessary supports to Role transition anyone still using fuel oil, or propane for heating to other fuel sources by 2025. Support Action 6.1.4: Provide specialized resources/support to organizations on prioritizing equity while planning their transition. Support Participating Organization: Being listed as a Participating Organization means your municipality will have a role in conducting this work from the perspective of an organization, in the same way that other organizations and businesses within the community are being asked to participate in these action items. Action Role Action 1.3.2: Expand and innovate on existing programming (e.g. Travelwise) that supports employers and employees in making active transportation and transit the easy and preferred choice for commuting and business travel. Participant Action 1.3.5: Post -pandemic continued adoption of work from home and flexible work schedules for reducing trips or shifting trips to off-peak times. Participant Action 1.5.3: Site key community services, health facilities, subsidized housing, etc., in central areas where they can be easily accessed using the active transportation and public transit systems. Participant Action 2.1.3: Plan and begin to implement the transition of commercial vehicle fleets to zero emissions vehicles. Participant Action 2.2.1: Provide more public electric vehicle charging stations in public spaces, commercial spaces and other places visited by the public. Participant 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 commercial buildings. Participant Action 3.1.3 Switch home and business heating and water heating off of fossil fuels. Participant Action 3.1.6: Install renewable energy generation in business and residential buildings. Participant Action 4.1.3: Support the use of compost/organics collection programs for all commercial buildings. Participant Action: 5.4.2: Provide a variety of low GHG food options plant - based dining options in local restaurants, grocery stores, and catered events. Participant Action 6.1.2: Incorporate education on sustainability justice and equity into climate action planning. Participant Action 6.1.6: Build reciprocal relationships between Indigenous groups and local municipalities and climate action organizations to ensure GHG reduction work is done in equitable ways that respect the land and traditions of Indigenous groups. Participant Action 6.1.8: Apply an equity lens to all the actions in this transformation. Participant Action 6.3.4: Evaluate how to identify and protect optimal areas for industrial -scale renewable energy generation. Participant Appendix C: Summary of Kitchener Utilities Actions Kitchener Utilities has been identified as key stakeholders in the 10 -year plan to achieve a 30% greenhouse gas emission reduction by 2030, in the following ways: 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 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 and hydrogen. While heat pumps are key to our transition to a low -carbon community, especially in the next decade, other fuels can also play an important role, particularly for activities that are especially energy intensive. A particularly promising option that is being explored is to replace fossil fuel -based natural gas with a mix of renewable natural gas and green hydrogen. Pursuing options for transitioning existing natural gas operations to zero -carbon is crucial for achieving our 2050 target. This work will be led by Enbridge and Kitchener Utilities. Action 3.1.5: Identify and implement necessary supports to transition anyone still using fuel oil, or propane for heating to other fuel sources by 2025. A proportion of buildings in the region are still heated using fuel oil or propane. These are relatively expensive and carbon intensive ways to heat buildings, but there can be specific challenges building owners face in switching to other fuels. WR Community Energy will lead the investigation of these barriers locally. Implementing supports in time for transition by 2025 will require assistance from local electric and natural gas utilities, as well as municipalities. Action 3.1.7: Support households on lower incomes with building envelope improvements, electrifying space and water heating, and renewable energy generation. Not all households will have the ability and resources to transition their buildings to be low and no emission. Programs are needed to ensure lower income residents are not left behind, or left with high energy bills as a result of changes to the energy system and increasing carbon prices. This work will be led by community capacity builders such as Reep Green Solutions and utilities. Action 3.1.8: Identify opportunities to incentivize landlords to perform energy efficiency upgrades. Landlords may be hesitant to invest in energy efficiency upgrades when it is the tenant who enjoys the benefits of the resulting utility bill savings. Exploring ways to share the costs and benefits of upgrades or finding other ways to incentivize these upgrades will be important for reducing energy poverty and promoting health and wellbeing of tenants. This work will be led by community capacity builders such as Reep Green Solutions, WR Community Energy, and utilities. Action 3.1.10: Create a one -window service to support energy-related upgrades for homes and businesses. Initiating energy-related building upgrades can be time-consuming, intimidating and involve many technical decision points. A one -window service makes the process easier. This service may include information on all applicable incentive and best practices for energy-related upgrades, behavioural change campaigns and other supports. The service will help more building owners in performing more upgrades that reduce building -related emissions. This work will be led by WR Community Energy in collaboration with Reep Green Solutions, the Region of Waterloo, Area Municipalities, and the local utilities. Strategy 3.2: Build new buildings to be net -zero carbon, or build to transition to net -zero carbon. Action 3.2.4: Incorporate energy planning considerations into the development application review process. How neighbourhoods are designed can affect the energy efficiency and energy generation opportunities for decades after construction. Development review processes must incorporate our long-term energy goals. For example, buildings in neighbourhoods can be oriented to maximize rooftop solar potential, allow for community energy systems, and consider energy generation, distribution, and storage at different sites. This work will be led by the Region of Waterloo and Area Municipalities with support from local utilities and WR Community Energy. Transformative Change #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 5.3: 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 5.3.1: Support the reduction of GHG emissions from livestock, and develop methane capture and energy production from manure. When manure breaks down, it generates methane, a gas that is 25 times more damaging to our climate than carbon dioxide. When this methane is captured and burned, it reduces overall emissions and generates energy that can be used on- site. This work will be led by local agricultural organizations and the Townships, with support from WR Community Energy and local utilities regarding energy generation. Transformative Change #6: By 2050, Waterloo Region has leveraged reducing GHG emissions to increase equity, prosperity, and resiliency for all. Strategy 6.3: Ramp up local renewable energy generation. Action 6.3.2: Implement a public literacy campaign for homeowners and property owners on renewable energy systems. Introduce homeowners and property owners to the generation potential, benefits, financing opportunities, policies, technologies, and other dimensions for the next wave of solar rooftop and other small on-site renewable energy systems. This work will be led by community capacity builders such as Reep Green Solutions with support from local utilities. Action 6.3.3: Implement a literacy and awareness campaign for commercial scale renewable energy generation. Introduce commercial property owners to the generation potential, benefits, financing structures, policies, technologies, international examples and other dimensions for the next wave of commercial scale renewable/local energy systems. As a first step, a lead organization will need to be identified for this work and should include collaboration with local utilities. Action 6.3.4: Evaluate how to identify and protect optimal areas for industrial -scale renewable energy generation. Suitable sites for large, industrial -scale renewable energy production in the region must be identified and planned for, to ensure that those sites are both available and accessible to meet future local energy production needs. This work will be led by the Region of Waterloo, in consultation with the Area Municipalities and local utilities. Appendix D: Final Community Consultation Results Summary The draft Transform WR strategy was available for final public consultation from March 10th to April 12, 2021. This included: • Discussions with key stakeholder groups (municipal staff, utilities, agricultural sector, community groups, municipal sustainability committees, school board representatives etc.), • An Equity and Sustainability Justice review and focus group conducted by compensated BIPOC Knowledge Holders; and • Widespread public consultation using the EngageWR platform. Information about the final EngageWR consultation on the climate action strategy was provided through the following channels: • An email to subscribers of the EngageWR page for the project; • Social media posts from ClimateActionWR, partner non -profits, and municipalities; • A joint news release from all eight municipalities issued through the Region's communications staff; • Paid online advertising from ClimateActionWR; • Direct requests to stakeholders and community groups to circulate the engagement opportunity through their networks; • Feature segments on 570 news, the Mike Farwell show, and the Business to Business Radio Program. The project's EngageWR page showed the following participation during the final consultation period: • 3262 "Aware" participants (who viewed at least one page); • 1058 "Informed" participants (who downloaded a document, visited multiple pages, answered the survey, or viewed an image); and • 364 "Engaged" participants (who answered the survey). In the survey, participants were asked to provide their thoughts on: • Which parts of the Vision are most important; • Which of the 6 Transformative Changes would be most important to achieve, and which would be most challenging; • What types of actions are most important and most challenging to adopt; • What supports are most important for respondents to be able to take action in their lives; and • Whether anything was missing from the strategy, or whether parts were unclear. Responses generally showed considerable engagement with the substance of the strategy. Overall, 66% of respondents indicated that the strategy provides what they need to take action toward this low carbon future. Of the 33% who indicated it did not, most provided thoughtful feedback that has been considered in final revisions to the strategy. A summary of what was heard in this final consultation, and the changes made in response, are outlined in the following table: There are additional • Strengthened language in the `Principles' to opportunities to emphasize the importance of prioritizing the needs highlight equity of equity -deserving groups in climate action work. considerations • Added a `Spotlight on Climate Justice' series of callout boxes throughout the strategy, to highlight some of the equity considerations that need to go into this work. • Added 2 new action items to specifically address equity concerns: o Action 6.1.2 Incorporate education on sustainability justice and equity into climate action planning o Action 6.1.7: Increase broadband internet access • Strengthened language in a number of sections to ensure equity is a key focus of this strategy, such as: o Including equity impacts as a metric in resources; o Recognizing the importance of empowering equity -seeking groups in climate action work; o Ensuring a lens of climate justice, anti - racism, and decolonization informs sustainability work; o Recognizing diverse outreach methods needed in awareness campaigns, to serve diverse populations of residents; o Respecting cultural traditions in actions related to food choices; and o Recognizing Indigenous ways of understanding food, and relationships with food and the land. What we heard Response and changes made Inconsistent language • Incorporated language around this in the `Vision' is used to reflect that statements. the active • Strengthened language in the following areas, to transportation and ensure a focus on accessibility and considerations transit systems must for people of all ages and abilities: be accessible for o Strategy 1.1 people of all ages and o Action 1.1.1 abilities o Action 1.1.5 o Strategy 1.2 o Action 1.5.2 Safety is an important • Added considerations of age in action items, which consideration in the helps address safety concerns (see above). transportation system • Added specific references to highlight the importance of safety in the following items: o Action 1.3.4 o Strategy 1.1 o Strategy 1.2 There are additional • Strengthened language in the `Principles' to ensure opportunities to the differing needs between rural and urban settings recognise the will be taken into consideration. differences between • Added clarifying language in the `Implementation' urban and rural areas section to address that implementation will look different in different settings, and among the different municipalities. There are additional • Added example actions that farmers and those in opportunities to the agriculture industry can take, to the `Take highlight the unique Action' sections. role of the Agriculture • Added information about the role of regenerative sector land management in climate change mitigation. What we heard Response and changes made Clarify the role of • Strengthened language to communicate the advocacy in this work importance of provincial and federal support in achieving and exceeding our goals. • Added references to specific actions and policies needed at provincial and federal levels to meet and exceed our goals. Additional groups Added new potential collaborators to action items: wanted to be identified as potential • CycleWR added to Action 1.3.3 collaborators in the • Ekko and A Friendlier Company to Action 4.2.3 Strategy • Architectural Conservancy Ontario to Action 4.2.4 • KW Library of Things to Action 4.2.5 New actions/concepts New action items added: added as suggestions from the community • Action 6.1.2: Incorporate education on sustainability justice and equity into climate action planning. • Action 6.1.7: Increase broadband internet access. New concepts added: • Added a callout box to highlight the role innovative financing options can play in scaling up retrofits. • Added a callout box on regenerative land management. • Added callout box on food sovereignty. There is a need to • Strengthened language indicating the need for bold reduce emissions by and immediate action in the short-term, to meet and more than 30% by 2030 exceed our short-term target; • Added further explanation on how this strategy contributes to the Paris Agreement objectives. What we heard Response and changes made • Added more references to the importance of advocacy to other levels of government to meet and exceed our local targets. Some technical details • Added callout boxes to explain additional technical are unclear or would terminology. benefit from more • Added clarifying text to explain that air source heat explanation pumps are most common, and ground source heat pumps can only be used where they will not disrupt our groundwater. • Added clarifying text to emphasize the importance of increasing the energy efficiency of existing buildings (in addition to new builds). Appendix E: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about TransformWR TransformWR Strategy Development Q: Who developed the TransformWR strategy? The TransformWR strategy was developed through the ClimateActionWR collaborative. Led by Reep Green Solutions and Sustainable Waterloo Region, and funded by the cities and the Region, ClimateActionWR focuses on climate change mitigation (reducing GHG emissions). To create our community's long-term climate action plan, all four townships in the region joined the collaborative, and funding was secured from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to support this project. Led by ClimateActionWR staff, the project team included representatives from Reep Green Solutions, Sustainable Waterloo Region, the cities, the townships, and the Region. Q: Who is the TransformWR strategy for? TransformWR is intended to guide decisions made by everyone in our community over the next three decades: from municipalities and businesses to organizations and households. Q: How did community members help to build this strategy? ClimateActionWR connected with over 1,600 community members to discuss what they wanted the low -carbon future of Waterloo Region to look like, and their insights on how we can get there. This directly informed Our Vision of 2050, and the Principles for Designing a Low Carbon Future, which were key inputs into the development of the technical pathway. For the results of this consultation, see the Community Engagement Summary Report by Unless Design Partners. Most recently, the draft TransformWR strategy was available for public consultation on the EngageWR platform from March 10th to April 12, 2021. The results of that consultation are summarized in Appendix B of this report. Q: Were technical experts involved in the creation of the TransformWR strategy? Yes. Energy consultants from WalterFedy led the creation of the technical pathway. To inform this process, technical consultation included workshops, surveys, and conversations with over 100 technical experts, locally, nationally, and internationally, including municipal leadership and staff. Our Targets Q: Why are 2010 levels the baseline for our targets? Our first community GHG emissions inventory was based on 2010 data, and we have used that as our baseline emissions, from which we compare our reduction efforts against over time. 2010 data is the earliest community GHG data that we have available for Waterloo Region. Q: Why 80% by 2050? In 2018, the 80by50 target was endorsed by each municipal council across Waterloo Region: the Region of Waterloo, the Cities of Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo, and the Townships of North Dumfries, Wellesley, Wilmot, and Woolwich. At that time, this target was in keeping with some of the most ambitious targets being set by other municipalities in Canada, and there was strong support in the community for the target. Q: Don't we need to be net -zero by 2050? Since the 80by50 target was endorsed by municipalities in 2018, there has been growing recognition that we must go faster and farther to complete our global energy transition by mid-century. Our 80% target is based on local changes we can make to reduce emissions, and is a minimum. We will take every opportunity we can to drive forward more ambitious climate action where opportunities arise. By using caution in our modelling, and building an ambitious plan based on it, we will be well positioned to potentially achieve our 80% reduction target earlier, and set us on a path to exceed it. Q: Why 30% by 2030? While big changes need to happen quickly, it will take time to plan and do the work. Based on these timelines, reducing our total emissions by 30% by the year 2030 is an ambitious goal that will require immediate and significant action by everyone across our community. Our model shows what local actions we need to take to reduce our emissions by 30% by the year 2030. Based on population projections for Waterloo Region, this will reduce emissions 49% per person by the year 2030. Q: Why not 50% by 2030? Ramping up local action will take time, making it unrealistic to electrify homes and vehicles and change our travel patterns and transportation system fast enough to cut emissions in half by 2030. The speed of change required for a 50% reduction by 2030 is shown in Appendix B of the TransformWR strategy. This would require immediate and significant financial support and regulatory requirements from federal and provincial governments. Additionally, the emissions reductions that result from our local actions will vary based on decisions made by senior levels of government, most notably the use of natural gas in the electricity system. If the Government of Ontario eliminated natural gas from the electricity system by 2030, the same local changes would reduce emissions by about 40% instead of 30%, meaning any further local changes would have a bigger GHG reduction impact. In short, this plan is built to maximize what we can do locally, so that any changes at other levels that further reduce emissions will help us to exceed our local targets. What's in TransformWR? Q: Why do many parts of the strategy focus on electrification? To reduce emissions quickly and meet our 2030 target, we must expand the use of existing available technologies. Electric options for home heating, cooling, water heating, and vehicles are available today, and when used can immediately eliminate most of the emissions associated with heating, and driving. Electric equipment is significantly more efficient than equipment that burns fossil fuels, and to transition our energy off of fossil fuels, we need to use less energy overall. Fuel switching to electricity can also enable equipment to run on locally -generated renewable energy. Q: Are carbon offsets part of our plan? Do carbon offsets help meet our target? No, carbon offsets are not part of our pathway to 80by50. Carbon offsets are a reduction in GHG emissions made in order to compensate for emissions made elsewhere. They are sold to enable the purchaser to claim the GHG reductions as their own. While this is a mechanism to reduce emissions, they do not address the root cause of our local emissions. Q: What about the growing population in the region? Our GHG reduction targets are absolute targets. This means we are working to lower our overall emissions based on our 2010 levels, even while our population and economic activity grows. This makes our targets more challenging to achieve, compared to `intensity based' targets which are based on emissions per person. Q: What is the purpose of the Carbon Budget section (Appendix D of strategy document)? When several municipalities in Waterloo Region declared a climate emergency or climate crisis in 2019, there was considerable interest in carbon budgets. At the request of the municipalities, the project's technical consultants (WalterFedy) apply the carbon budget methodology used by Edmonton and the C-40 cities to identify a total carbon budget number for the Waterloo Region community as a whole. Information on this calculation is included in an appendix in the strategy document, so that municipalities and others have a common reference they can use as a starting point for any related work. What's next? Q: Is the TransformWR Strategy feasible? Yes. TransformWR is focused on identifying `what' needs to be done in order to do our community's part to address climate change. Q: What needs to happen next? The next step of this journey is implementation, for all municipalities, businesses, organizations, and households. Detailed implementation plans must be developed and resourced to make the changes outlined in the strategy. Q: How does this plan impact our community's social and economic priorities? This strategy aims to use GHG reductions to create a more equitable, prosperous, resilient low -carbon community. Transforming our energy system will prepare Waterloo Region to thrive in a low -carbon global economy in the coming decades. Redesigning our transportation, buildings, waste, and food systems to use less energy are opportunities to improve quality of life, especially for those who experience the most barriers in our current, high-energy systems. Q: How will progress be tracked? 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. Q: How will advocacy play a role in our success? The success of our efforts will depend on policies from other levels of government, such as decarbonizing Ontario's electricity grid. Achieving our targets will require working with local organizations and governments, as well as other municipalities across Ontario and Canada to have a coordinated voice in expressing our needs for climate action that supports equity, prosperity, and resiliency.