Addressing Climate Change: Over half of Edmontonians want the City to do more
Nov. 28/19
Change for Climate is a climate change initiative from the City of Edmonton.
Nov. 28/19
Change for Climate is a climate change initiative from the City of Edmonton.
The results from the City of Edmonton’s third annual Climate & Energy Perceptions Survey are in and we’re happy to see that Edmontonians see climate change as a key issue facing our city and are taking daily actions to address climate change on an individual level.
According to the survey:
- 74 per cent of Edmontonians are concerned about climate change
- 75 per cent agree that we need to take action now 69 per cent believe climate change is mostly caused by human activities
- 63 per cent say they’re taking action themselves.
All of these stats are up from previous years, showing Edmontonians are increasingly more concerned with sustainability and are taking ownership in making Edmonton a more climate resilient city.
One of the largest statistical increases from one year to the next is that 52 per cent of respondents said they want the City to take further action, a nine point increase from 2018. This tells us we are on the right track but need to do more to meet expectations and move faster towards a low-carbon future for everyone.
The City of Edmonton currently has various programs working on an integrated manner to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a changing climate. But in line with concerns of Edmontonians about climate change, since August 2019 the City has been working on updating its Energy Transition Strategy to align with the international target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. This update will require ambitious changes in speed and scale of change. The Energy Transition Strategy a way for us to address and mitigate climate change through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), increasing energy efficiency and promoting renewable energy systems.
A draft of the updated Energy Transition Strategy will be presented to council in June 2020, with the final strategy presented in October. The City is organizing public engagement events with targeted stakeholders to ensure that the updated Strategy with its proposed climate shifts, policies, actions and solutions capture the best practices, innovations and ideas, and that its implementation is achievable in Edmonton. Find out opportunities to provide input by visiting edmonton.ca/EnergyTransitionUpdate.
