Township of Huron-Kinloss Community Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP)

The Township of Huron-Kinloss (with a population of 7069) is developing a Community Climate Change Action Plan to understand and address climate change through a dual climate change mitigation and adaptation lens. The objective of the plan is to provide a Township-wide baseline and forecast of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and potential climatic impacts and outline a comprehensive strategy for Huron-Kinloss to respond to climate change locally. The project will include quantifying community GHG emissions to create a baseline inventory and forecasts, identify potential climatic impacts, assess the vulnerability and risks of these climatic impacts, establish goals and targets for the Township of Huron-Kinloss to work towards reducing these risks, and identify, assess and recommend GHG emission reduction strategies to achieve the targets, and develop and effective implementation approach to put the plan into action. Through this project the Township will be completing Milestones 1 through 3 of FCM’s Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) five-milestone framework for community sources of emissions and following Milestones 1-3 of the Building Adaptive and Resilient Communities (BARC) framework, for both the Township of Huron-Kinloss Corporate and Community Milestones. Although the specific targets for reducing GHG emissions will be developed through the process using a scenario planning approach, the final targets for the Township of Huron-Kinloss would include matching the provincial GHG emissions target of 80% reduction below 1990 levels by 2050. A key component of the planning process is extensive stakeholder and community engagement to provide robust outreach, soliciting input from a range of corporate and community stakeholders, and building buy-in and support. Creation of the Community Climate Change Action Plan will enhance the community’s ability to plan and adapt to climate change. The intention is to foster measurable and sustained results in both mitigating climate change and having meaningful actions in progress to adapt to climate changes as they occur. An economic development lens is also being applied to keep energy dollars local, support green industry and skills training, and leverage business and tourism opportunities associated with changing climatic conditions. This approach will support families and businesses in Huron-Kinloss and make the Township more resilient to environmental change.