Greenhouse gas emissions cut by more than a quarter
According to its first annual Sustainability Report, the City of Kitchener has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 27 per cent since 2010. The vast majority of the savings have been found in construction-related sectors, including municipal buldings, and infrastructure such as pumping stations and street light.
The report, released last week by Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic and City staff, highlights the successes of Kitchener’s sustainability efforts as it works to implement its Corporate Climate Action Plan and achieve an absolute greenhouse gas reduction of 8 per cent from 2016 levels.
Highlights from the report include:
- Nearly 3,100 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions saved since 2010
- 3,719 megawatt hours of electricity saved since 2010
- 10 million litres of water saved since 2018
- 53 energy audits completed at City facilities like arenas, pool, and community centers
“Strong action from communities across the world is absolutely critical to meet the emission targets laid out in the Paris Agreement,” said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. “The release of the 2019 Sustainability Report is an opportunity to celebrate our considerable progress to date, but also to reflect on how much still needs to be done to ensure we can be proud of the legacy we are leaving for the Kitchener residents who will inherit the world we leave behind.”
Recent public consultations on the City’s strategic and budgetary priorities have consistently shown that Kitchener residents support strong climate action. As the result of this feedback, environmental leadership was identified as one of the City’s five strategic goals, and many recommendations from the Corporate Climate Action Plan were incorporated in the City’s 2020 budget. These investments include building upgrades to reduce energy use and a faster transition to sustainable energy sources for our vehicle fleet.
The report also outlines Kitchener’s next steps in combating climate change. One significant area of focus will be improvements to the City’s stormwater infrastructure, as an increased risk of flooding is one of the main local impacts of climate change. The federal government has partnered with the City in these efforts through $50 million in Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Funding awarded in May 2019.
Throughout 2020 the City of Kitchener will work with community organizations, businesses, the City of Cambridge, the City of Waterloo and Region of Waterloo to develop a Community Climate Action Plan in 2020. This plan will coordinate climate action across the entire regional community.