Happy Earth Day! Today is a chance for everyone to join the conversation around climate change.
Halton Region is committed to addressing climate change and transitioning to a resilient, low-carbon future. By reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, adapting our services and supporting our community, we are working to make strides to both mitigate and adapt to climate change.
What we’re doing about climate change
We're actively focused on implementing our corporate Climate Change Action Plan (PDF file) and achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 2045.
The Plan is the first of its kind at Halton. It includes four themes and identifies key actions we are taking as an organization over the next 20 years, which include:
- measuring, tracking, monitoring and mitigating our GHG emissions;
- concluding a renewable energy generation study;
- electrifying (rightsizing) the Region’s fleet vehicles;
- exploring the advancement of a carbon budget; and
- advancing partnerships that align with Regional climate change initiatives.
I’m proud to share that we’ve achieved Milestone 2 & 3 of the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) (external link) program’s Milestone Framework by taking an inventory of our GHG emissions, and setting a target. We are now working through implementation, progress and reporting results (Milestones 4 and 5).
We also have taken action on climate change by making it one of the key themes of our 2023-2026 Strategic Business Plan and working alongside our community and local partners to deliver a new Community Climate Action Plan.
What you can do about climate change
Here are some ways you can take action at home and in our community:
- Improve your Home’s Efficiency. Buildings account for 58 per cent of our community’s emissions. Easily reduce your emissions by:
- Checking your windows and doors for air leaks, using weatherproofing strips, sealing draft doors, and considering energy-efficient windows and doors.
- Installing a smart thermostat.
- Installing a heat pump or high efficiency furnace if your home’s heating and/or cooling system needs replacing.
- Reducing your water usage—pumping, treating, and heating water requires energy.
- Reduce Your Transportation Emissions. Transportation accounts for 36 per cent of our community’s emissions. Consider other transportation methods to make a large impact:
- Walking, biking, or rolling to your destination whenever possible.
- Taking advantage of public transportation.
- Considering leasing or purchasing an electric vehicle when you’re the market for a new car.
- Stay prepared. Stay up-to-date with local services and local climate news to help you and your family adapt to the changes and effects of the local climate by:
To learn more about what we’re doing to achieve net zero by 2045, visit the Climate Change and the Environment page on halton.ca. If you are interested in learning more about Earth Day, visit earthday.ca (external link) and earthday.org (external link).
Together, we can all do our part to address climate change and transition to a resilient, low-carbon future, helping keep Halton a great place to live, work, raise a family and retire.