City Council, Standing Committee and Commission Conseil, comités permanents et commission Motion Notice of Motion / Avis de motion Committee / Commission: Comité / Commission : Select a Committee / Commission Sélectionner un(e) Comité / Commission OR / OU Council / Conseil Report / Agenda: Rapport / Ordre du jour: Environment Committee Agenda 6 Item / Article: Notice of Motion Re: Climate Change Moved by / Motion de: Councillor D. Chernushenko WHEREAS national, provincial, and municipal leaders from Canada and around the world are working to achieve a universal and necessary agreement on climate change and to set a clear pathway for reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs); AND WHEREAS the Federation of Canadian Municipalities estimates that municipalities have direct or indirect control over 45 per cent of GHGs generated in Canada; AND WHEREAS the Province of Ontario has committed to reducing province-wide GHGs by 80% below 1990 levels by 2050; AND WHEREAS the City of Ottawa has identified climate change and renewable energy as priorities for the 2014-2018 Term of Council and is pursuing a variety of initiatives in support of these goals, and major projects that will reduce GHG emissions significantly (such as light rail and conversion of street lights to LED technology); AND WHEREAS the City of Ottawa has already committed to completing a corporate (municipal) GHG inventory annually and a community-wide GHG inventory every four years as indicated in the 2014 Air Quality and Climate Change Management Plan (AQCCMP); 2 AND WHEREAS City staff are due to provide an update on the 2014 AQCCMP, including a report with recommendations related to the use of a local improvement charge (LIC) financing mechanism for home energy retrofits, in Q1 of 2016; AND WHEREAS reducing GHGs in the City of Ottawa can also contribute to the reduction of other air-quality contaminants, thereby improving public health outcomes; AND WHEREAS improving the energy efficiency of municipal operations can produce operating and life cycle repair savings, as well as leverage innovation and economic development; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Environment Committee recommend that City Council approve that its current commitment to work with key stakeholders and community partners to reduce community-wide GHGs produced within the geographic boundary of the City of Ottawa be amended to align with provincial targets, which is set at 80% below 1990 levels by 2050; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT Environment Committee recommends that Council approve the following additions to current activities that address Climate Change: a. That the Mayor, on behalf of City Council and the City of Ottawa, join the Compact of Mayors, a global initiative for local climate action coordinated by the world’s leading city networks; b. That the Chair of the Environment Committee be directed to work with the interdepartmental working group established as part of the 2014 Air Quality and Climate Change Management Plan and external stakeholders to prepare a recommended implementation plan to reach the above-stated target for Committee and Council consideration; and c. That staff be directed to assess the feasibility of developing and implementing minimum energy performance standards for new residential and commercial buildings and report back to Committee and Council; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the Environment Committee recommend Council include renaming the Environment Committee as the Environment and Climate Protection Committee as part of the Mid-Term Governance Review process.