The City of Charlottetown has released a Climate Projections Report, detailing climate-related changes Charlottetown can expect to experience in coming years and a Community Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventory, which will serve an essential role in creating a Climate Action Plan for the City.
Findings of the Climate Projections Report are currently being used to complete a Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment anticipated to be released in the coming months. When complete, this Assessment will allow for specific and actionable goals to be formulated for inclusion in the Climate Action Plan.
Notable projections include:
• An increase in annual average temperature
• Increased number of extreme heat days and heat waves
• Increased annual precipitation and more intense precipitation events
The Community GHG Inventory is an update to a 2018 report which estimates energy use and emissions in the Charlottetown area. This report provides an indication of how emissions have changed in recent years, where emissions reduction actions need to be targeted and areas of possible support and partnership.
Findings from this report include:
• Per capita emissions have dropped from 11.5 tCO2e per resident in 2015 to 10.4 tCO2e per resident in 2022.
• Overall emissions have increased since 2015, likely due to the high population growth that has occurred in that time.
• The transportation sector accounts for almost 50 per cent of the total emissions which includes road, marine and air travel.
• The industrial, commercial and agricultural sectors have had the largest decreases in their emissions due to a big drop in heavy fuel oil consumption.
• Electricity usage has increased while fossil fuels like oil and propane have both decreased.
The City’s Community Energy Plan identifies a target of 50 to 60 per cent GHG reduction by 2030, relative to 2015. Recent evaluations found that emissions are 35 per cent higher than they should be to reach the 2030 target, demonstrating the need for more dedicated efforts to reduce energy use in Charlottetown. This will be addressed in the goals and actions of the Climate Action Plan.
The City is working with two organizations to assist with the creation of the Climate Action Plan. This includes ICLEI Canada’s Building Adaptive and Resilient Communities (BARC) program and QUEST Canada’s Net-Zero Communities Accelerator (NCA) program. These two initiatives provide frameworks and expert support in conducting municipal climate adaptation and mitigation planning.
Engagement with the community is an essential component of effective climate action planning and implementation. As a result, the City has composed two working groups of over 65 representatives from various community organizations as well as City and provincial departments who will be involved in the planning process every step of the way. The City is also working with a number of community organizations to conduct meaningful community engagement. The public can expect to see a number of opportunities for input on the Climate Action Plan in the coming months.
A draft of the Climate Action Plan is anticipated to be released in fall 2024.
Visit
charlottetownhall.ca/climateaction to view the reports and future updates on the Climate Action Plan.