OKOTOKS, AB: Council approved the Resilient Okotoks: Climate Action Plan and its associated actions and timeline at the March 22 regular meeting as a means to meet Council’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050.
“Every person and municipality can have an impact on the global challenge and this action plan demonstrates Okotoks’ commitment to do our part to mitigate the effects of climate change,” said Mayor Bill Robertson.
The plan brings together mitigation and adaptation actions from studies and policies already in place to ensure Okotoks is aligned with the Government of Canada’s target of 30 percent below 2005 emissions by 2030. Public engagement was carried out in October 2020 to determine how the recommended climate actions will be prioritized.
Residents of Okotoks voted to place the highest priority on retrofitting existing buildings for energy efficiency. Increased waste diversion, renewable heating, and electric vehicles also had over 60 percent support.
The actions listed in the report were broken down into eight priority areas: Buildings, Energy Supply, Transportation and Land Use, Waste, Ecosystems and Local Food, Water, Health, Wellness and Preparedness, and Mainstreaming and Corporate Leadership.
Through previous engagements for the Environmental Master Plan, the Greenhouse Gas Baseline Report, the Municipal Development Plan, and feedback from residents, this plan lays a path forward for meeting the target of carbon neutrality by 2050. It also contains a list of actions that residents can do to join the Town’s efforts in building a resilient Okotoks.