STANDING COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION, WATER AND WASTEWATER (SCEPWWM)

At the committee meeting on Tuesday, members approved contracts until 2023 with our current curbside waste collection service providers. To support native pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, ants and beetles, the Committee directed staff to plant a pollinator garden and install a native bee hotel on City property. The Committee also approved declaring a climate emergency in the City of Ottawa, which was a very hot topic. SEE HERE FOR MY STATEMENT ON WHY I VOTED AGAINST THE MOTION.

Declaring a Climate Emergency in the City of Ottawa

At the Standing Committee on Environmental Protection, Water and Waste Management on April 16^th 2019, I voted against the motion to declare a ‘Climate Emergency’ in the City of Ottawa. Yes, climate change is a real issue. There is absolutely no denying that, and that is not my rationale for voting no.

First and most importantly, the motion spoils the incredible effort the City has shown in the last decade in being a proactive and responsible leader in the environment community. This motion wants us to “deepen” our commitment to protecting our economy, our eco systems, and our community from climate change. As stated within the motion, the City is ALREADY committed to protecting our environment; we do not need the title of ‘climate emergency’ to continue doing so. We have over 30 key departmental initiatives towards addressing climate change, including the Air Quality and Climate Change Management Plan, the new Official Plan, Energy Evolution, Green Building Policy, and many more initiatives within city reports, by-laws, and programs that seek to reduce environmental impacts and greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to initiatives within the City’s programs, Ottawa is also an outside member of the Partners for Climate Change Protection of Federation of Canadian Municipalities, joined the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, and has been recognized multiple times as a top green employer, among many other partnered initiatives. This motion signals to residents that the City has not been doing business with climate change in mind in an adequate fashion, despite the City’s comprehensive list of initiatives aimed at reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Could the City find areas to improve? Very possible. But this motion undermines the initiatives our City already does; initiatives our committee should be celebrating much more often.

This motion also calls to establish a Council Sponsors Group comprised of representatives from the Standing Committee on Environmental Protection, Water and Waste Management, Planning Committee, Transportation Committee, Transit Commission, the Ottawa Board of Health and the Councillor Liaison of the Environmental Stewardship Advisory Committee. This Council Sponsors Group would be comprised entirely of members who already sit around the committee table for Environmental Protection, Water and Waste Management, which is where these climate issues should be discussed. This raised a red flag for me; as the City is working to streamline information and processes, creating a separate group with the same members seems to work against this strategy. If we want to talk about new environmental initiatives that the City can take on, this committee can handle it on its own.

If there is one item with which I agree it would be item number eight of the motion which calls us to work with senior levels of government to provide the City and the public with resources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At the federal level, gas taxes have been implemented and downloaded to the taxpayers. The province, in their budget released last week, will be investing $400 million for emission reductions and will be working on a climate impact assessment. We should be working with these senior levels to get funding and support from their climate change initiatives, and take advantage of what our taxpayers have already paid for.

I want to thank all residents who have contacted me over the last two weeks about this committee item. I received lots of feedback, and I want you to know I considered each and every one of your voices when making my decision at the committee table today. Despite differences between federal, provincial, and municipal climate change initiatives, there is only one taxpayer who pays. Climate change is a global issue; the City of Ottawa does take this issue seriously, and we have many great energy saving, emission reducing, and green programs already in place support that claim. As a member of this committee I am fully supportive of new or improved initiatives the City can take on to reduce emissions or transition to even more green programs. As most of the motion references policies and reports already undertaken by the City, the only difference the City will see from today to tomorrow will be that Ottawa will have a membership in news headlines for the ‘Climate Emergency Club’.

SOUTH NATION CONSERVATION (SNC) BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

Attended my monthly Board of Directors Meeting at South Nation Conservation on Thursday. On the agenda were a few recognitions of SNC staff for their years of service, some request for approvals for plans and applications, and updates on ongoing programs and initiatives. See South Nation’s website here.