The Waterloo Region Climate Collaborative: A Community-Wide GHG Action Plan

The Region of Waterloo (ROW) will develop a community-scale greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory and emissions reduction target, and action plan, to reduce per capita GHG emissions and air pollution and support integrated and sustainable development over the next decade, in light of rapid population growth. The resulting GHG Action Plan will complement the region’s existing Corporate Energy Management Plan and Green Fleet Strategy and will allow both ROW and participating municipalities to achieve Community Milestones 1 to 3 of the Partners for Climate Protection program, of which they are members. To meet Milestone 1, GHG emissions inventories will be developed for the aggregate community and for participating area municipalities, as well as a 2020 community emissions forecast for stationary energy consumption, local transportation, waste, water and land use. The inventories and forecast will undergo third-party verification. To meet Milestone 2, GHG emission reductions targets will be categorized by short- and long-term feasibility timelines, and their implementation cost will be estimated in dollars per tonne of GHGs reduced. Regional actions will be developed to meet Milestone 3, with the support of a broad community engagement and public consultation process that includes facilitated live sessions and online tools, and involves a range of stakeholder groups. The plan will include implementation, monitoring and reporting strategies. Participating municipalities include the cities of Waterloo, Cambridge, and Kitchener. ROW will also partner with two non-profit organizations, Sustainable Waterloo Region and Waterloo Region Green Solutions to undertake this work. Both organizations have valuable expertise in regional approaches to climate change planning. Key tools developed through the planning process, such as an Inventory Data Management Manual, will provide opportunities for knowledge sharing with other municipalities. (Project description from original funding application)