News release
For immediate release
A creative online tool will help Esquimalt residents and businesses see how their actions, as well as the township’s, can impact greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This is the next phase of building Esquimalt’s Community Climate Mitigation Plan and the township is looking for community input.
“It is important that we involve residents as we work to reach our climate goals,” said Mayor Barbara Desjardins. “We want to ensure that we put efforts into strategies that reflect Esquimalt’s needs, not a one-size-fits-all plan.”
The intent of the process is for participants to learn more about Esquimalt’s greenhouse gas emissions and how to create the best possible plan to reduce them. Using the platform, participants will also be able to make their own plan to help reach Esquimalt’s climate goals.
The informative, game-like public survey is open to all Esquimalt residents, businesses and others who frequently visit or pass through the community.
The survey responses will be used to refine the proposed actions to align with residents’ priorities for climate mitigation resulting in a set of strategies that will move the Township towards achieving its GHG targets for GHG reduction.
The final Climate Action Plan will include a combination of these strategies as well as the adaptive strategies the township needs to undergo to prepare for the existing climate changes. Once the Climate Action Plan has been adopted, the strategies can be incorporated into corporate strategic planning.
The township has set challenging goals to reduce GHG in the community in order to help keep future global temperature rise as low as possible. Ultimately, the Township plans to be a 100 per cent renewable energy community by 2050.
Achieving this will require collective action by both the Township as a corporation and by its residents in their daily lives. Meeting the targets will have additional benefits, including reduced air pollution; reduced risks to the municipality; and the increased health, happiness and resilience of residents, among others.
The online survey, plus more information about Esquimalt’s current GHG emissions, risk assessment summary and climate adaptation planning can be found at esquimalt.ca/climate.
More information
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Contact
Tara Zajac, Manager of Communications
[email protected]
250-414-7122