Municipality of the District of Guysborough - Climate Change Action Plan & PCP Milestones 1-3

The Municipality of the District of Guysborough, NS, will develop a greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction plan to improve the environmental performance of community and municipal facilities and services, generate operational savings, and work toward provincial goals on climate change. As a member of the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program, the district aims to complete the first three milestones of the PCP Milestone Framework. A sparsely populated community located along Nova Scotia’s northeastern coast, the District of Guysborough is taking steps to strengthen its economic base and enhance the quality of life for its residents. Several industrial projects have been proposed for the region, including a petrochemicals facility and power generation projects, as well as wind farms and the Sable Offshore Energy Project, which would be one of the largest natural gas plants in Canada. Building on its 2010 Integrated Community Sustainability Plan, the district seeks to minimize the negative effects of development on biodiversity and the environment. It will also shape future development to align with Nova’s Scotia’s Climate Change Action plan, which aims to reduce GHG emissions by at least 10 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020. District staff will work with environmental consultants to assess current energy use in municipal facilities and services and across community households and businesses. The project team will prepare a GHG inventory by examining emissions from municipal buildings, municipal motorized equipment, waste and wastewater treatment, transportation, outdoor lighting, and energy used in homes and commercial buildings. With input from community stakeholders, the team will recommend reduction targets and develop a detailed action plan. The plan will include technical specifications and a cost-benefit analysis for each proposed action. This plan would be the first of its kind in this part of the province, and the district looks forward to sharing its experience with municipalities facing similar challenges. (Project description from original funding application)