Episode
74

Calgary’s Climate Strategy Case Study – with Bob Hawkesworth

March 1, 2023
|
Duration:
1845870
Apple Podcast Icon
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Spotify icon
Listen on Spotify

In This Episode:

Join David Arkell, John Pooley, Lysandra Naom, and Bob Hawkesworth on an episode all about Calgary's climate strategy. This episode features the details of a climate strategy in Calgary, Alberta, Canada while highlighting the gaps between strategy and execution. Check out our 360 Carbon Excellence Program.

Highlights

  • Declaration of a Climate Emergency: Calgary’s city council declared a climate emergency, signaling its commitment to prioritizing climate action. However, transitioning from declaration to implementation remains a significant challenge.
  • Setting Targets Without Baselines: Calgary’s climate strategy aims to reduce carbon emissions by 60% by 2030 from 2005 levels, but missing baseline data from 2005 creates ambiguity in tracking progress.
  • Challenges with Strategy Implementation: Despite approval of the climate strategy, initial implementation lacked urgency and did not align with the declared “emergency,” highlighting a gap between policy and actionable steps.
  • Community and Infrastructure Focus: Bob emphasizes the need to integrate climate strategy across sectors, such as transportation and housing, while encouraging residents to significantly reduce their individual carbon footprints.
  • City and Provincial Coordination: Transitioning Calgary to Net Zero requires close collaboration between the city council, provincial government, and local utility providers to facilitate renewable energy adoption and infrastructure development.
  • Key Insights

  • Importance of Measurable Goals and Accountability: Climate strategies must be grounded in measurable goals and require regular progress reports to maintain public and governmental accountability.
  • Challenge of Rapid Carbon Reduction: Meeting the 2030 target requires Calgary to reduce emissions by 1.3 million tons annually, necessitating large-scale, coordinated efforts across all sectors.
  • Focus on Clean Electricity: Transitioning to a clean electricity grid is crucial, as a third of Calgary’s emissions come from electricity. Shifting from coal to renewables and natural gas will significantly aid emissions reduction.
  • Importance of Urban Density and Transport Solutions: Reducing transportation emissions involves expanding public transit and active transportation networks, as well as creating dense, walkable neighborhoods to minimize car dependency.
  • Adaptability of Climate Policy Over Time: Given the scale of infrastructure investments required, city policies must align with provincial and federal goals, while ensuring resilience against political changes over time.
  • Prev

    Loading...

    Next

    Loading...