In the last few weeks, the world has heard yet another dire warning about the effects of climate change, and the urgent action needed to address it.
While individual cities may have a relatively small impact on global CO2 emissions, we can still lead by example and leverage our economic advantages to innovate and be a global leader in sustainable technologies.
As we transition our energy sources, there will also be opportunities to improve the efficiency of Edmonton’s new and existing buildings. To stay within Edmonton’s carbon budget, as many as 30,000 homes will need to be retrofitted annually.
The municipal government can help make this target a reality. Spurring investment in retrofits has the potential to create as many as 25,000 job opportunities over the next decade while also reducing utility costs, and decreasing our overall emissions as a city. This can be achieved even as our population grows.
As mayor, I will establish a retrofit accelerator, an external agency to facilitate large-scale, volume retrofits by securing additional funding — including building on the Clean Energy Improvement Program, which helps homeowners finance energy retrofits through their property taxes — and will also assist residential and commercial building owners to navigate City financial support, project management and pathways to net zero.
The goal for the first full year of operations will be 10,000 homes, with an eventual goal of up to 30,000 a year.
The external agency will include resources for social housing retrofits, developing techniques, processes, and skillsets — as well as the removal of regulatory barriers — that can be transferred to the construction industry as a whole to speed retrofits in all types of buildings.
We need to ensure the City leads by example by setting the highest green and net-zero standards and integrating climate adaptation planning in all municipal projects. We will seek funding from other orders of government, such as the Canada Infrastructure Bank, and utilize contract procurement models such as integrated project delivery or progressive design-build to manage costs to City taxpayers for the new standards.
The City must work with the development industry, including through my previously announced Mayor’s Council on Business Growth to set green building and net zero-ready standards as part of the zoning bylaw.
We must also advocate the provincial government for building code amendments that facilitate net-zero and carbon-neutral buildings, and provide industry with opportunities and predictability.
We can look to other Canadian cities for inspiration as well. I support the start of a Zero Emissions Centre of Excellence that will support industry capacity-building and job creation, such as Vancouver’s Zebx.
It’s important to involve community partners to address the climate crisis as well and energy poverty. We have to assist vulnerable households, including low-cost measures that reduce emissions and energy costs.
I’m committed to monitoring and reporting on Edmonton’s carbon budget beginning in 2022, and integrating carbon accounting into the municipal decision-making processes for the 2023 budget.
All of the steps above will help achieve the goals of economic diversity, energy poverty reduction, increased global competitiveness, household and business energy cost savings, and talent attraction and retention.
