"Demonstrating Results: Municipal Initiatives for Reducing GHGs"
Federation of Canadian Municipalities / January 2010
Climate change touches every sector of the Canadian economy, and municipal governments are no exception. Municipal governments are in direct or indirect control of almost half of Canada’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and their decisions on public transit, waste management, building energy performance, and land use planning greatly influence the amount of emissions produced in Canada.
In 2009, the FCM–ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability) Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program gathered and analyzed data on initiatives implemented by municipal governments in Canada to reduce GHG emissions at the corporate and community levels and compiled them in a National Measures Database. The initiatives range from education campaigns to complete building retrofits for energy efficiency [...]
The results of the analysis are clear: municipalities are significantly reducing GHG emissions in Canada, providing real solutions and leading the fight against climate change.
The cumulative annual GHG reductions reported by municipal governments is 1.4 million tonnes — the equivalent of removing about 325,600 light vehicles from the road. Municipalities are also proving that their influence goes far beyond their own operations: they have reported reducing GHGs by 308,100 tonnes within the industrial, commercial, institutional (ICI), residential and transportation sectors in their communities.
The initiatives implemented vary from million-dollar projects to low or no-cost initiatives. These municipal investments are already generating significant savings of tax-payers’ dollars — over $56 million in savings to date.
Municipal governments are taking action to improve quality of life and air quality in their communities, and to reduce operating costs.
