Municipalities in Canada are surpassing provincial governments when it comes to taking climate change seriously. Let's join countless cities from across Canada and the world and make Regina a leader when it comes to renewable energy. That's why Councillors Findura, Murray, and I are advancing a motion to make Regina a Renewable City at the September 24th Council meeting. We are looking for public support!
WHEREAS Council has committed to making our City “Canada’s most vibrant, inclusive, attractive, sustainable community, where people live in harmony and thrive in opportunity”;
WHERE AS: Goal 4 under Section D2 of the “Environment Section” of the Official Community Plan aspires to:
4.14.1 Promote more energy efficient new construction;
4.14.2 Improve Regina's air quality, including reduction of corporate and community greenhouse gas emissions;
4.14.3 Monitor changes in climate and its impact on the city and develop mitigation strategies;
4.14.4 Encourage green building design; and
4.14.5 Encourage the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through the use of alternative energy sources;
WHEREAS: Regina City Council endorsed a “Right to a Healthy Environment” declaration in 2017; and
WHEREAS: Regina City Council supported a motion aimed at studying the potential of electrifying City owned vehicles and retrofitting civic buildings with solar panels; and
WHEREAS: The release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere has resulted in each of the last three decades being successively warmer at the Earth’s surface than any preceding decade since records began being kept in the 1850s, with the warmest year on record being 2016;
WHEREAS: The impacts of climate change and resulting extreme weather are increasingly being felt as rising economic impacts, social conflicts, damaged infrastructure, strain on existing water resources, and loss of human life result;
WHEREAS: 2016 census data shows that the City of Regina is a growing destination for people from across Canada and the world, contributing to the urbanization of Saskatchewan;
WHEREAS: Projects like the gas to energy capture initiative is a success and has garnered significant positive feedback in Regina;
WHEREAS: A handful of cities of various sizes from across Canada, such as Vancouver and Saskatoon, have committed to a long term goal of deriving 100% of their energy from renewable sources, joining over 300 cities around the world including Copenhagen, Sydney, San Francisco, and Stockholm;
WHEREAS: Municipalities, financial institutions, and industry have recognized the importance of and invested in renewable energy infrastructure as growing economic engines and job creators in Canada and globally;
WHEREAS: The Federation of Canadian Municipalities has committed to financing and supporting 100% renewable municipal policies;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Regina join the growing number of municipalities from around the world and commit to being a 100% renewable city by 2050;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT Administration return to Council by Q4 of 2019 with framework for realizing this goal;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT Administration seek external funding sources, such as grants made available through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, to finance the report and any future costs incurred from this commitment.
Councillor Andrew Stevens
Councillor Joel Murray
Councillor John Findura