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City outlines first phase of its five-year climate action plan

Greater Sudbury working toward net-zero emissions by 2050
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The City of Greater Sudbury has released its plan outlining the climate change actions it will undertake over the next five years in support of the Community Energy and Emissions Plan (CEEP).

The City of Greater Sudbury has released its plan outlining the climate change actions it will undertake over the next five years in support of the Community Energy and Emissions Plan (CEEP).

The CEEP is the long-term plan to reduce carbon emissions and pollution in Greater Sudbury and create a clean energy future. It responds to council’s Climate Emergency declaration in May 2019, which included a commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. 

That means reducing greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activity to as close to zero as possible, and removing remaining emissions from the atmosphere.

The CEEP was unanimously approved by Council on Sept. 22, 2020. The action plan was presented to city council at its meeting on Feb. 9.

“Greater Sudbury has joined the ranks of thousands of municipalities around the world taking action to reduce energy and GHG emissions and stimulate a green economy,” said Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger. 

“This action plan sets out municipal efforts in particular, but climate change affects all of us, and achieving a net-zero Greater Sudbury by 2050 will very much rely on the combined efforts of the entire community – government, businesses, not-for-profits and residents.”

The five-year action plan lays out the first phase of municipal actions to address the CEEP’s 18 goals in eight strategic sectors:

  1. Compact, complete communities
  2. Energy efficient buildings
  3. Water, wastewater, and solid waste
  4. Low-carbon transportation
  5. Industrial efficiency
  6. Local clean energy generation
  7. Low-carbon energy procurement
  8. Carbon sequestration

The plan divides actions into various categories, including plans and studies; education and outreach; policies, guidelines and standards; procedures; programs and projects; and partnerships and engagement. Each action is also assigned a timeline and an anticipated cost range. 

Some of the most immediate municipal-led actions include the ongoing LED streetlight conversion, tiny homes policy review, energy audit at Pioneer Manor, and development of a green procurement strategy.

The CEEP strongly aligns with the priorities of the 2019-2027 City of Greater Sudbury Strategic Plan, and directly addresses the objective to develop and strengthen strategies and policies to mitigate the impact of climate change.

Implementing the CEEP will require a community-wide effort, and developing a framework for collaboration will be a key action for 2021. Stay tuned for opportunities to get involved. To learn more, visit www.greatersudbury.ca/netzero. 


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