Windsor’s PCP Corporate and Community Climate Change Action Plan

The City of Windsor will update its corporate and community greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories, set GHG reduction targets, and develop a plan of activities to achieve the target GHG reductions in both community and corporate operations. The initiative will produce the City of Windsor’s Corporate Climate Change Action Plan (CAP) and Community Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP), along with meeting the Ontario Ministry of Energy’s Municipal Energy Plan (MEP) and fulfilling the second and third milestone of the Partners for Climate Protection Program. The initiative will occur in five phases: project work planning; defining new energy baselines; developing forecasts and targets; developing the CAP and CCAP energy plans; and preparing an implementation, reporting, and development plan. Windsor will undertake extensive public and stakeholder consultations to ensure public buy-in and input in the final plans. Key stakeholders (e.g. EnWin Utilities Ltd., Union Gas, commercial and industrial users, local development offices, energy project developers, and local academic institutions) will assist in developing measurable targets associated with action items in the plans. These targets will be monitored by Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change staff, and will be reported via a designated website to City Council and as part of Windsor’s detailed Report on the State of our Environment. The plan is well integrated with existing plans, such as the Greening the City Fleet document and the municipality’s current Energy Management Plan. The development of the CAP and CCAP will help the municipality provide strategies that allow residents and businesses to conserve energy, reduce GHG gas emissions, reduce costs and use cleaner sources of energy that will contribute to improved air quality, environmental protection, and lower GHG emissions. Policies encouraging renewable energy systems (where appropriate) or requiring hook up to district energy (where available) may also be incorporated. Recommendations resulting from an energy plan may also inform which areas are best suited for business development employment uses and which areas may benefit from financial incentives or strategies related to the provision of energy infrastructure or energy use. The plan will support economic development leading to a more competitive and sustainable municipality, as well as align the built environment and land use growth with the best possible energy options for the municipality. As such, it can provide a unique example to the region in achieving the second and third PCP milestones through public consultation and key stakeholder participation. (Project description from original funding application)