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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-04-17 Climate Change and Environment Committee Agenda Climate Change and Environment Committee Agenda April 17, 2025, 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Conestoga Room City of Kitchener 200 King Street W, Kitchener, ON N2G 407 People interested in participating in this meeting can email Committee Administrator, Eda Islemecioglu at eda.islemecioglu@kitchener.ca. Please refer to the delegation section on the agenda below for the registration deadline. Written comments received will be circulated to the Committee prior to the meeting and will form part of the public record. *Accessible formats and communication supports are available upon request. If you require assistance to take part in a city meeting or event, please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994.* Co-Chairs: V. Nhio-son & K. Charlesworth Pages 1.Commencement The meeting will begin with a Land Acknowledgement given by the Chair. The City of Kitchener is situated on the traditional territory of the Chonnonton, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee Peoples. We recognize our responsibility to serve as stewards for the land and honour the original caretakers who came before us. Our community is enriched by the enduring knowledge and deep-rooted traditions of the diverse First Nations, Metis and Inuit in Kitchener today. 2.Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest and the General Nature Thereof Members of Council and members of the City’s local boards/committees are required to file a written statement when they have a conflict of interest. If a conflict is declared, please visit www.kitchener.ca/conflict to submit your written form. 3.Delegations Pursuant to Council’s Procedural By-law, delegations are permitted to address the Committee for a maximum of five (5) minutes. All Delegations where possible are encouraged to register prior to the start of the meeting. For Delegates who are attending in-person, registration is permitted up to the start of the meeting. Delegates who are interested in attending virtually must register by 1:00 p.m. on April 17, 2025 in order to participate electronically. 3.1 Item 4.1 - Dr. P. Crank, Assistant Professor & E. Schmidt, Research Project Manager, Global Environment Measurement and Monitoring Group 3.2 Item 4.2 - M. Day, Executive Director, WR Community Energy 4.Discussion Items 4.1 Presentation - Fine-scale Heat and Air Quality Measurement and Monitoring in the City of Kitchener 20 m The Delegations will provide a 5-minute presentation on this matter. 4.2 Presentation - WR Community Energy 2024 Progress Report 20 m 1 The Delegation will provide a 5-minute presentation on this matter. 4.3 Pivot Net Zero Update, DSD-2025-152 20 m 8 F. Wade, Sustainability Advisor, will provide a 5-minute presentation on this matter. 4.4 Update on Kitchener's Great Places Awards, DSD-2025-175 10 m 10 O. Ojurongbe, Project Manager, will provide a 5-minute presentation on this matter. 4.5 High Performance Development Standards Sub-Committee Update 10 m 5.Information Items 5.1 Sub-Committee Updates 15 m 6.Adjournment Eda Islemecioglu Committee Administrator Energy Resiliency in Waterloo Region Council Delegations | Spring, 2025 1 wrcommunityenergy.ca If water is life, then energy is quality of Life 2 ENERGY TRANSITIONS IN WATERLOO REGION 2 wrcommunityenergy.ca 3 HOW MUCH DO WE SPEND ON ENERGY? 87% of that money left our community 3 wrcommunityenergy.ca 4 HOW MUCH ENERGY DID WE WASTE? (2014)45% lost as GHGs and radiant heat 4 wrcommunityenergy.ca 5 Energy Demand: 40% Space and Water Heating 5 wrcommunityenergy.ca Term 1 (2019 – 2022) Vision Setting 2020 Progress Report 2021 Term 1 Report 2022 Progress Report Term 2 (2023-2026) Heating Strategy Term 3 (2027 – 2030) Term 4 (2031 - 2034) Term 5 (2035- 2038) Term 6 (2039- 2042) The Energy Transition Across 6 Terms of Council 6 wrcommunityenergy.ca 77 Staff Report Development Services Department www.kitchener.ca *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. REPORT TO: Climate Change and Environment Committee DATE OF MEETING: April 17, 2025 SUBMITTED BY: Natalie Goss, Manager Policy & Research, 519-783-8970 PREPARED BY: Fionnula Wade, Sustainability Advisor, 519-741-2200 WARD(S) INVOLVED: All DATE OF REPORT: April 1, 2025 REPORT NO.: DSD-2025-152 SUBJECT: Pivot Net-Zero Update, 2024 RECOMMENDATION: For information. REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:  The purpose of this report is to provide an update on the City of Kitchener’s corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions using the 19 annual progress reporting metrics and update the status of the 47 action items identified in the Pivot: Net-Zero report (DSD- 2024-074).  This report supports Cultivating a Green City Together: Focuses a sustainable path to a greener, healthier city; enhancing & protecting parks & natural environment while transitioning to a low-carbon future; supporting businesses & residents to make climate-positive choices. BACKGROUND: In April 2024, Council approved the Corporate Climate Action Plan 2.0 – Pivot: Net-Zero report. The intent of this report was to maintain the target of reducing the City of Kitchener’s corporate emissions by 8% by 2026 from the 2016 baseline year and sought to pivot the organization to reach the new target of net-zero by 2050. 47 action items were identified that will help staff achieve this emission reduction goal. As part of this report, staff are to update Council annually on the City of Kitchener’s corporate GHG emissions, using the 19 annual reporting metrics identified in the 2024 report. In March 2024, the Climate Change and Environment Committee passed a motion “that the CCEC supports the recommendation that for future GHG reduction project analysis [global warming potential] GWP 20 emission factors (as it’s amended) be used to calculate GHG emissions, in place of GWP 100.” GWP 20 emission factors are useful when looking at the impact of GHG’s that have a shorter lifetime in the atmosphere, such as methane (CH4), while GWP 100 emission factors focus on gases with a longer lifetime, specifically carbon 8 dioxide (CO2). Following this recommendation, staff investigated making this switch and have decided to not move forward with the use of GWP 20 emission factors. The rational behind this decision is in part due to prominence of CO2 in the City of Kitchener’s corporate GHG emissions, as well, to stay consistent with larger organizations for reporting purposes. While natural gas usage plays a large role in the City of Kitchener’s GHG emissions, when burned, it mainly releases CO2. The main CH4 emissions from natural gas is a result of leaks during transportation and storage, which is considered an upstream emission, and is not within the scope of the City of Kitchener’s Corporate GHG inventory. In addition, continuing forward with the GWP 100 emission factors will allow the City of Kitchener to stay aligned with the reporting frameworks we have committed to report to annually, including the Sustainable Waterloo Region Impact Network and Partner’s for Climate Protection. REPORT: Staff will provide an update on the City of Kitchener’s 2024 corporate GHG emissions, using the 19 reporting metrics, and a progress update on the 47 action items identified in Pivot: Net-Zero. STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT: This report supports Cultivating a Green City Together: Focuses a sustainable path to a greener, healthier city; enhancing & protecting parks & natural environment while transitioning to a low-carbon future; supporting businesses & residents to make climate-positive choices. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: There are no direct financial implications of this report. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: INFORM – In March 2024 the Climate Change and Environment Committee endorsed the City of Kitchener’s second-generation Corporate Climate Action Plan Pivot: Net Zero. This report is an update on the items identified within the 2024 report. The full report will be posted on the City of Kitchener website as part of the next Council meeting agenda. PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES: DSD-2024-074 - Corporate Climate Action Plan (CorCAP) 2.0 Pivot: Net Zero 9 Staff Report Development Services Department www.kitchener.ca *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. REPORT TO: Climate Change and Environment Committee DATE OF MEETING: April 17, 2025 SUBMITTED BY: Natalie Goss, Manager, Policy & Research, 519-783-8933 PREPARED BY: Oluseyi Ojurongbe, Project Manager (Planning), 519-783-8941 WARD(S) INVOLVED: ALL DATE OF REPORT: April 2, 2025 REPORT NO.: DSD-2025-175 SUBJECT: Request for jury panelist for Kitchener's Great Places Awards RECOMMENDATION: That the Climate Change and Environment Committee identify a representative and back-up representative to participate in the jury panel for the Sustainable Kitchener award category as part of Kitchener’s Great Places Awards 2025 program. REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:  The purpose of this report is to seek direction that the Climate Change and Environment Committee identify a committee member (including a back-up) to participate in the jury panel to select the winning project(s) for the Sustainable Kitchener award as part of the Kitchener’s Great Places Awards program.  The Climate Change and Environment Committee is also encouraged to support program awareness by sharing with their community that nominations are open for projects for the Sustainable Kitchener Award along with other categories. BACKGROUND: In 2015, Council endorsed the establishment of a new comprehensive planning awards program celebrating a broad range of categories related to excellence in urban design and cultural heritage conservation. Known as the Kitchener’s Great Places Awards (KGPA), the program honours outstanding development projects that show a commitment to design excellence and innovation in urban design, affordable housing, sustainability and heritage conservation and contribute to a built environment that enhances quality of life. Since inception, the program has brought people together, fostered community pride and contributed to the quality-of-life Kitchener residents expect. The 2025 award program will recognize awardees across 10 categories as listed below: 1. Affordable Housing Solutions Award (new this year) 2. Future Design Leaders 10 3. Master Planning 4. Mike and Pat Wagner Heritage Awards 5. Neighborhood Design 6. People’s Choice 7. Placemaking 8. Schmalz Award for Design Leadership 9. Sustainable Kitchener 10. Urban Design Excellence REPORT: The Sustainable Kitchener Award is a component of Kitchener’s Great Places Awards and is given to civic or private development projects that demonstrate innovation and exceptional design with respect to:  sustainable development,  water conservation,  energy conservation and generation,  air quality,  waste reduction and management,  supporting active transportation, and,  transit-oriented development. The Sustainable Kitchener Award category is open to projects that have one or more prominent sustainability components, per the themes which are further described in the Official Plan. Projects can range from “micro” projects (with a big impact) to new or renovated buildings and new neighbourhoods. Qualifying projects must have been completed in the last 4 years and may include:  new developments,  adaptive reuse of existing buildings,  building additions, renovations, or site improvements  parks and open spaces,  public utilities, and,  street improvements and other civic structures. The Sustainable Kitchener Award jury panel will be composed of:  Manager, Policy & Research (or designate);  Director, Transportation Planning (or designate);  Manager, Stormwater Utility (or designate);  Climate Change and Environment Committee representative; 11  up to three professionals which would cover such expertise as active transportation, environmental planning, energy management, and engineering related to the Official Plan policy themes noted. Nominations for awards and expressions of interest for jury panels are open until April 30th through www.kitchener.ca/GreatPlaces. Expected commitment: The time commitment for this appointment is expected to involve reviewing submission materials for each nominated and short-listed project provided in advance and attendance at a single day, on-site review of the projects. The timeframe will be relative to the number of nominated and short-listed projects. For this category, we also try to coordinate a project representative to be on-site at a scheduled time to answer questions of the jury panel. The on-site commitment will be scheduled for a day in mid- to late June 2025 and we will target scheduling the date in May. Primary and back-up CCEC representatives are requested in the event that the primary representative is unable to participate for any reason. Awards ceremony:  We are working to confirm the event date for this year’s Kitchener’s Great Places Awards ceremony which is expected to take place in October.  Winning projects are announced at this event. This is a public event, and we invite all Climate Change and Environment Committee members to attend (more information to follow). STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT: The recommendation of this report supports the achievement of the City’s strategic vision through the delivery of core service. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: N/A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: INFORM - This report has also been posted to the City’s website in advance of the Committee meeting. PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES: CSD-15-083: Urban Design Awards Program Update DSD-2025-037: Request for jury panelist for Kitchener's Great Places Awards REVIEWED BY: Janine Oosterveld, Manager, Customer Experience and Project Management ATTACHMENTS: N/A 12