That, on the recommendation of the Managing Director, City Planner and the Managing Director, Environmental and Engineering Services and City Engineer, the staff report dated November 25, 2019 BE RECEIVED and the following actions be taken with respect to the City’s Climate Emergency Declaration and the next steps to further reduce energy use and increase climate change mitigation and adaptation actions during the next twelve months:
a) the Civic Administration BE DIRECTED to undertake the following immediate actions:
i) establish a City-wide target for London to achieve net zero community greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by the year 2050;
ii) consistent with the direction of Council’s recently adopted Corporate Energy Conservation & Demand Management (CDM) Plan, pursue opportunities to achieve Corporate net zero GHG emissions prior to 2050 with the goal of demonstrating municipal commitment and leadership to Climate Emergency mitigation;
iii) establish an internal team, inclusive of representatives from all service areas, to be champions for climate emergency actions within their service area and to help implement climate emergency initiatives;
iv) all Service Areas to identify immediate opportunities that can be implemented within existing resources using existing and new tools; deliver an educational program to all service areas to assist them with understanding the climate emergency and possible actions to address it;
v) launch the process to develop a new Climate Emergency Action Plan (CEAP) and incorporate the Community Energy Action Plan into this process;
vi) develop an interim screening Climate Emergency Evaluation Tool (CEET);
vii) create a new Climate Emergency area on the City’s web site, providing better communication to Londoners on the climate emergency, its implications and how they can assist;
viii) advocate, as a municipal leader in Canada, for climate emergency action at the provincial and federal government level;
ix) advance those actions and strategies identified in Council’s strategic plan that will address the Climate Emergency through existing budgets;
b) the Civic Administration BE DIRECTED to undertake the following actions within the next four months:
i) continue community and key stakeholder engagement on the CEAP process;
ii) complete an initial screen of current major transportation projects using the interim screening CEET;
iii) complete and formalize a permanent screening CEET and administrative processes through expert review and London-focused risk evaluation;
iv) include a standard section in all Standing Committee reports that addresses the Climate Emergency Declaration and, where appropriate, applies the screening CEET to the issues that are addressed in each report;
v) seek out opportunities for new funding to support climate emergency initiatives;
c) the Civic Administration BE DIRECTED to undertake the following actions within one year:
i) work with each Service Area to review all proposed major City projects and master plans (e.g., road widenings, facilities, parks and recreation facility upgrades, wastewater treatment, waste disposal, fleet) within the 10 year capital plan through the screening CEET and, where appropriate, recommend the modification of these projects;
ii) work with each Service Area to review all major existing programs and projects through the screening CEET to determine what should be considered for elimination, what may be changed and what should be started in response to the climate emergency;
iii) identify methods for advancing the urban forest strategy more quickly including exploring reforestation of under-utilized agricultural land within London and tree planting on a regional basis;
iv) establish appropriate tools to encourage cool roofs, green roofs, and/or rooftop solar energy systems and other green infrastructure for private developments;
v) work with relevant Service Areas to apply the screening CEET to review and make any required changes to address the climate emergency in the Design Specifications Manual, Site Plan Control Area By-law, Urban Design Guidelines, Tree Protection by-law, Purchasing By-law, all granting processes and other documents and processes that have an impact on the climate emergency; it being noted that these assessments and amendments will be undertaken in priority, based on the magnitude of their potential impact on the climate emergency and it being further noted that the entirety of this process will be undertaken over a period that extends beyond the one-year timeline;
d) the Civic Administration BE DIRECTED to complete the Climate Emergency Action Plan within one year, to include but not be limited to, the following components:
i) a clear city-wide net zero community GHG emissions target (no later than 2050, but with the intent of establishing a path to net zero GHG emissions prior to 2050);
ii) a clear Corporate net zero GHG emissions target (no later than 2050, but with the intent of establishing a path to net zero GHG emissions prior to 2050);
iii) a clear strategy and specific actions to achieve the targets established in (i) and (ii), above;
iv) a strategic approach and specific tools for communicating the climate emergency;
v) elevate discussions with developers, homebuilders and contractors regarding design and construction techniques to reduce lifecycle GHG emission impacts;
vi) explore opportunities for utilizing GHG offsets and establish policy for when this is appropriate;
it being noted that:
- the City’s Strategic Plan contains reference to more than 30 specific actions and strategies dealing with climate change;
- the multi-year budget process contains numerous programs and projects in the base budget that address climate change mitigation and adaptation including the need to increase actions in this area of importance; and
- several Business Cases designed to increase actions that address climate change mitigation and adaptation have been submitted for multi-year budget deliberations;
it being noted that the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee received a communication dated November 22, 2019 from B. Brock.and a communication dated November 22, 2019 from Councillor M. van Holst with respect to this matter.