The City may be looking at implementing a "climate mitigation strategy" to reduce corporate greenhouse gas emissions, but not just yet.
City of Airdrie council members voted unanimously to defer a decision on and refer the Climate Mitigation Strategy to the Environmental Advisory Board (EAB) for further review during a regular meeting on Feb. 6.
Council members were asked during the meeting to approve the development of a Climate Mitigation Strategy that includes a corporate greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of 5 per cent per year, which represents an 80 per cent reduction by 2050 from 2019’s baseline.
Joad Clement, municipal energy advisor for the City, provided the report presenting the creation of a strategy to consider utility costs, energy use and associated greenhouse gases in the City’s investment decisions when it comes to capital and operational planning and budgeting.
According to the agenda report, the Climate Mitigation Strategy will outline the corporate mitigation component of a future, comprehensive climate action strategy, including a climate adaptation piece and emissions reduction.
Following the presentation, Coun. Al Jones said he felt the proposal posed a “significant increase” in taxpayer dollars and felt it could use a bit more clarification in its approach. He said he also felt the presentation should have first been routed through EAB.
“There’s not a lot of information to justify that leap without going through some educated eyes, such as EAB,” Jones said during the meeting. “I’m not really seeing a clear path beyond possible grants and possible end results to actually make me confident that we would achieve [those goals].”
Though, he added in theory and in spirit he is in support of the initiative.
