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Calling All Great Ideas for Local Climate Action

By: Samantha Tremmel

Transforming Waterloo Region to a Low Carbon Community

(Waterloo Region, ON) December 12th, 2019 – ClimateActionWR is asking community members, businesses, and organizations to submit ideas for greenhouse gas reduction pilot projects that ClimateActionWR can undertake in 2020. These pilot projects will not only reduce local emissions, but assist in the development of Waterloo Region’s long-term community Climate Action Strategy to achieve an 80% local greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction by 2050. This is the community’s opportunity to have their ideas brought to reality, and play an important role in our local climate action efforts. 

In January 2019, ClimateActionWR received the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Transition 2050 grant to develop the region’s long-term strategy (30-year) and short-term (10-year) Climate Action Plans to reach our local targets. As part of this work, two pilot projects will be delivered in 2020. This call for ideas is one way to to gain inspiration for the projects from within the community. The goal of these projects is to test two approaches to significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the highest emitting sectors locally: transportation, and energy consumption from buildings (workplaces and homes).

“We’re hoping to collect a wide variety of ideas from across the region – small scale to large scale – to really challenge us to find the most effective ways we can begin reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, and set us on our way to achieving our long-term target” – Sue Arndt, ClimateActionWR Plan Manager.

According to the latest greenhouse gas inventory conducted in 2015, emissions from transportation contribute to 49% of Waterloo Region’s total emissions, and energy consumption from buildings contribute to 45% (27% from workplaces, and 18% from homes). One pilot project from each of these two areas will be selected, executed, and completed by ClimateActionWR,  between January and June of 2020.

2015 Emissions breakdown for Waterloo Region

For more information and to submit your ideas, visit climateactionwr.ca. Submissions will be accepted until December 31st, 2019. 

About ClimateActionWR

ClimateActionWR is a collaboration between local organizations and community members focused on climate change mitigation, and is led by Reep Green Solutions and Sustainable Waterloo Region. It coordinates the activities of our community’s Climate Action Plans with a current greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction target of 6% below 2010 levels by 2020, and a long-term target of 80% GHG reduction by 2050.

For more information visit www.climateactionwr.ca

Contact: 

Sue Arndt, Plan Manager
ClimateActionWR
226-476-1659
sue.arndt@climateactionwr.ca