Town adopts climate change action plan without emergency declaration

When it comes to climate change, Fort Erie councillors agreed with staff that action needs to be taken, but calling it an emergency locally may not send the appropriate message.

Councillors approved the adoption of a climate change action plan at the August 11 council-in-committee meeting, with an amendment from Councillor Nick Dubanow that removed a line referencing a potential emergency declaration.

“As well intended as they are, I think it misses the mark on what the actual need for that term is,” he said.

The draft plan includes several goals and objectives. One point calls on the municipality to “explore declaring a climate emergency,” noting that 650 municipalities across Canada have done so already.

“Canada’s Changing Climate Report, led by Environment and Climate Change Canada, reveals that Canada is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world,” the town’s draft report reads.

“The report contains alarming facts on the state of climate emergency in Canada and an urgent warning to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A declaration from council would be a significant step for the town towards climate resilience,” it continues.

Dubanow said it was a discussion worth having around the horseshoe, but until that happens, he was hesitant to include reference to a climate emergency declaration in the plan.

Many of the goals in the plan are general in nature, but some are more specific. They’re split between goals meant to adapt to climate change that will happen and others aimed at mitigating future human-caused climate change.

Adaptation goals include amending existing bylaws to allow for naturalized gardens, which require less water and maintenance. It also calls for the town to incorporate climate specific risks into its early warning systems and emergency preparedness plan.

On the mitigation side, short-term goals include tree planting, a pilot program that explores using electric vehicles in the municipal fleet, public transportation expansion and an e-waste program at town hall.

Medium-term goals include developing a green standards checklist for development proposals, investigating solar panels on town-owned facilities, and developing a shoreline resiliency plan that looks at the creation of healthy fish habitats.

While it includes mention of reducing lake pollution, addressing algae accumulation, and increasing public awareness, Mayor Wayne Redekop said given the town’s location at the end of Lake Erie, the town should take a broad approach to shoreline resiliency, including looking at claims for damages that are the result of storms.

He was also a little hesitant on the push for electrification of the municipal vehicle fleet.

“I’ve got real concerns about electric vehicles right now because we don’t have the infrastructure to really go whole hog on that,” he said, adding it’s a constantly evolving sector where options like hydrogen may ultimately win out.

Though Dubabow took slight issue with the potential climate emergency declaration, he said the overall climate change plan is needed.

“I think it’s very important, not just from the perspective of climate change, which obviously is a concern of most individuals, but also just from the perspective of good stewardship and environmentalism in our community and our natural resources,” he said.

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