At the end of March, Peterborough and area residents dealt with an ice storm and power outages that lasted for several days. This storm occurred just under three years after the May 2022 derecho storm that also left the city with extended power outages and major damage to buildings and the tree canopy.
Increased frequency of severe storms and increased flooding are both predicted for our region as our climate changes.
Ironically, the presentation of Peterborough’s new Climate Change Action Plan 2.0, dubbed CCAP 2.0, was delayed by a week when the March 31st council meeting was cancelled due to the power outages.
In the wake of yet another extreme weather event, the implementation of this plan is more important than ever. Governments tend to be willing to spend what it takes to respond to disasters — to clean up the mess, get the power back on, and get back to normal.
It is at least as important — if not more important — for governments to make the necessary investments to reduce the number and severity of extreme weather events residents will have to face in the future.
Investing in climate action will save money in the long run — nearly a billion dollars by 2050, according to CCAP 2.0 — and will result in a safer, more prosperous, healthier, and happier city at the same time.
CCAP 2.0 lays out an ambitious plan to bring Peterborough to net zero by 2050. What will that plan mean for Peterborough residents? What will life look like in 2050 if we implement this plan?
By 2050, if a Peterborough resident has a car, it will certainly be electric. They will probably be driving a whole lot less however, because investments in the public transportation system (now made up of all electric buses) and active transportation networks have made these options quick and convenient.
Changes in land use will also be a key factor. By 2050, most Peterborough residents will live in neighbourhoods where it is easy to get to all the places they need to go — work, school, grocery stores, gyms — within 15 minutes by foot, bike, or bus. Electric bikes and scooters will also be great options for slightly longer trips within the city, and charging infrastructure will be plentiful, affordable, and convenient.
Many of the homes and buildings community members live and work in today will still be here in 2050, but they will be transformed to save energy costs and reduce emissions, retrofitted to be well-insulated, airtight, and heated with non-polluting methods like heat pumps.
Many will incorporate rooftop solar panels, lowering electricity costs to almost nothing. The vast majority of buildings won’t pay a gas bill at all!
New buildings built between now and 2050 will be designed and built for the net zero future, saving money by eliminating gas lines and incorporating charging infrastructure and solar panels at the time of construction.
Peterborough will have a thriving urban forest by 2050. Green infrastructure like native trees and rain gardens will be incorporated and valued as municipal assets, reducing flood risk, improving water and air quality, and reducing temperatures during the hot summers.
Well before 2050, businesses will have gotten ahead of the curve, reaping the benefits of reduced costs that come with energy efficiency and fuel switching, as well as public goodwill towards genuinely green enterprises. Members of GreenUP’s Green Economy Peterborough program are already leading the way.
Peterborough will take a circular approach to waste, reducing and eliminating waste as much as possible, then composting and recycling the majority of what is left.
How will Peterborough get from here to there?
Current policies and programs aren’t enough. The CCAP 2.0 outlines a series of “big moves” that the city will need to undertake to get on this path to a sustainable future.
These policies include green development standards, programs to promote and incentivize retrofits for residential and commercial buildings, and investment in public and active transportation, among others.
Extreme weather can’t be entirely prevented from happening, and this won’t be the last storm Peterborough cleans up from. Without eliminating the burning of fossil fuels however, the situation is guaranteed to get worse. As with planting a tree, the best time to get started was 20 years ago, but the second-best time is now.
Read the full Climate Change Action Plan 2.0, which went before city council on Monday (April 7) and was approved by a vote of 9-2, with councillors Dave Haacke and Andrew Beamer voting against it.
Start your home on the pathway to net zero today. Learn more about GreenUP’s home energy services at greenup.on.ca/home-energy/.
