When it comes to climate change, the City’s Environmental Coordinator is specific about what corporate initiatives need to happen now to give Timmins a green future.
“The City needs to lead by example,” says Christina Beaton. “Through our sustainability program, we have achieved success in reducing our corporate electricity consumption, natural gas consumption, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It’s a start, but we have work to do to encourage community participation in our programs.”
Since 2018, the City has reduced electricity consumption by 9%. Over the same period, the City has reduced natural gas consumption by 16%. The City’s energy intensity, the amount of energy used to provide a service or product, has been reduced by 14%, which far surpasses the overall goal of a 5% reduction over 5 years. The goal now is to maintain or improve this rate of reduction until 2024. The City has also met and surpassed target reductions on GHG emissions with a decline of 15% since 2017.
At last night’s council meeting, the City’s new Climate Change Adaptation Plan was approved. The plan is designed to advance community engagement in long-term planning with the goal of creating a community that is resilient to the risks associated with climate change.
“Yesterday, we had the season’s first special weather statement warning of high temperatures and potential health risks to vulnerable populations,” adds Beaton. “It helped reinforce the need for a comprehensive strategy, led by the City, to help our community deal with climate change risks like extreme heat days, heatwaves, reduced air quality from high temperatures and increased wildfire activity. We are hoping to collaborate with interested residents and community groups as we implement the plan.”
The City’s Community Adaptation Plan will soon be available online. Learn more about the City’s commitment to a sustainable future at: https://www.timmins.ca/our_services/city_hall/environment___sustainability.
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