Board of Health April 15 2019 Climate Emergency resources Dave Carson 8.2

Past City events 2009 GHG Inventory 2011 Climate Change Action Charter 2013 December Community Climate Change Action Plan initiated 2015 October Community Climate Change Plan “received” 2016 June Council Motion re BARC approach to Climate Change 2017 December Bay Area Centre for Climate Change initiated 2018 December Bay Area Climate Change Advisory Council meets 2019 March Board of Health - Climate Emergency declared

April 2019 October 2018

We are halfway on the time line to cut GHG by 50% 2009 2019 2030

Winning slowly on Climate Change is not Winning

WHEREAS, the City of Hamilton recognizes that Climate Change is an emergency…. An emergency is a situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property, or environment. Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening of the situation, although in some situations, mitigation may not be possible, and agencies may only be able to offer palliative care for the aftermath.

How many of 5000+ full time City staff come to work every day focused on the Climate Emergency?

How many of 5000+ full time City staff come to work every day focused on the Climate Emergency? We need An up to date & detailed inventory of the local sources of GHG emissions Clear plans for their approach to reducing emissions A prioritized and costed list of actions with measurable benefits The commitment and resources to execute the plans The process and resources for continuously updating plans as progress is made and internal and external factors undergo change

Source – Bay Area Climate Summit presentation March 2019 – Sustainability Solutions Group

By 2050….Corporation and Community 80-100% non-emitting buses, trucks and cars & related infrastructure 80-100% non-emitting heat in homes, offices, shops, warehouses, factories 80-100% highly insulated buildings 80-100% non-emitting water/sewer treatment 80-100% non-emitting greenhouses & grain drying 80-100% sequestering of steel / cement production CO2 by-product Major afforestation/reforestation Significantly increased storm water capacity Significant improved crop and grazing land management for carbon storage

Source – Bay Area Climate Summit presentation March 2019 – Sustainability Solutions Group

Corporate Climate Change Task Force to identify March BoH Motion asks Corporate Climate Change Task Force to identify Additional actions to achieve net zero carbon emissions before 2050. Gaps in current programs and projects and strategies to address those gaps ToR for an awareness strategy campaign …………….to include the impacts of not taking such action, and the investment vs. the expense of taking such action

Establish a Chief Climate Officer Recommendation #1. Establish a Chief Climate Officer – a member of the Senior Management Team.

Recommendation #2. Establish a well staffed Climate Change Team providing goals, direction and monitoring

Recommendation #3 All Departments to evaluate & prioritize plans, programs & resource allocations to meet the needs of the Climate Emergency.

Recommendation #4. Execute continued community awareness campaigns; community support is necessary to enable actions in all areas

Winning slowly on Climate Change is not Winning To make a meaningful response to your motion of last month, the City needs to invest more resources than those currently assigned. You are just starting work on the Emergency, why wait another 90 days before getting really serious?

“Owing to past neglect, in the face of the plainest warnings, we have now entered upon a period of danger .. The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays, is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences.” A quote by a great 20th Century Statesman is to the point. “The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays is coming to its close. In its place we are entering A PERIOD OF CONSEQUENCES.” Sir Winston Churchill 12 November 1936

Thank You

Background information

ICLEI – Building Adaptive & Resilient Communities milestones

Source – Bay Area Climate Summit presentation March 2019 – Sustainability Solutions Group