Climate change refers to any long-term shift in weather conditions over time, including temperature, precipitation, winds, and other indicators. The impacts of climate change are far-reaching, affecting our infrastructure, weather patterns, wildlife and landscapes. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s special report in 2018, human activities are estimated to have caused approximately 1.0oC rise in global temperature above pre-industrial levels, and is currently increasing the temperature at 0.2oC per decade1. The build-up of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere is the primary cause for concern about climate change now and in the future.
1 IPCC, 2018: Global Warming of 1.5°C. An IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty [Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, H.-O. Pörtner, D. Roberts, J. Skea, P.R. Shukla, A. Pirani, W. Moufouma-Okia, C. Péan, R. Pidcock, S. Connors, J.B.R. Matthews, Y. Chen, X. Zhou, M.I. Gomis, E. Lonnoy, T. Maycock, M. Tignor, and T. Waterfield (eds.)]. In Press. Available at: https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/SR15_Full_Report_High_Res.pdf
Climate action is a provincial priority and local governments are key partners in helping to reduce GHG emissions and create complete, compact, energy efficient communities. The following annual reports summarize the key sustainability action items the City has undertaken to support GHG and energy reduction:
The City is a proud signatory to the Climate Action Charter. The Charter commits local government to move toward achieving carbon neutrality in most corporate activity and operations and to work to create more compact, energy efficient communities.
The Corporate Energy Policy ensures energy management is an integral part of the City’s broader business plan setting a vision and framework for energy efficiency and conservation.
Provisions under the Local Government Act required community GHG emissions reduction targets to be included in Official Community Plans (OCP) by May 2010. Following community consultation, the City established community GHG emissions reduction targets and policies for three sectors; buildings, transportation and solid waste. These targets and policies may be viewed in Part 3 of the OCP.
Abbotsford residents and businesses currently spend about $500 million per year on energy and this amount will increase in the years to come as the cost of energy rises. To help keep Abbotsford affordable by reducing energy use and its associated GHG emissions, we are aiming to reduce GHG emissions by 20% per capita below 2007 levels by 2025 and 40% per capita below 2007 levels by 2040. Implementing the policies and strategies laid out in the OCP will be a critical component of Abbotsford’s progress towards achieving the community’s GHG reduction targets over the next 25 years.
The Climate Action Revenue Incentive Program (CARIP) was designed to offset the carbon tax paid by local governments who have committed to working towards carbon neutrality in their corporate operations under the Climate Action Charter. To be eligible for the conditional grant, local governments were required to report publicly on their progress towards meeting their climate action goals. Since the initiation of the CARIP, which was wrapped up in 2021, the City has completed:
Local Government Climate Action Program (LGCAP) provides local governments and Modern Treaty Nations with predictable and stable funding to support the implementation of local climate action that reduces emissions and prepares communities for the impacts of a changing climate.
