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Climate Change

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Climate change is the biggest environmental challenge that we face today and it is primarily caused by human activities.

The layer of atmospheric gases surrounding our planet acts like a protective blanket. This blanket lets in just the right amount of heat and light from the sun. It also shelters the Earth from the deep cold of space, much like the panes of a greenhouse. This is why the gases that make up this atmospheric layer are also referred to as greenhouse gases.

Human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, and farming have increased the level of certain greenhouse gases (G.H.G.s), such as carbon dioxide and methane, in our atmosphere. As this blanket of gases gets denser, less heat is able to escape from the planet, which heats up the atmosphere and oceans, causing the climate to change.

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Greenhouse Gas Reduction

Reducing our G.H.G. emissions can help to reduce our impact on the environment. This is referred to as climate mitigation.

The City of Oshawa is taking action to help reduce the impacts of climate change on the environment and respond to the goal of Environmental Responsibility as outlined in the Oshawa Strategic Plan.

The City of Oshawa is also a member of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ (F.C.M.) Partners for Climate Protection (P.C.P.) program, which consists of five milestones that will assist local governments across Canada in reducing both corporate and community G.H.G. emissions:

Create a G.H.G. emissions inventory and forecast;
Set and emissions reductions target;
Develop a local action plan;
Implement the local action plan; and,
Monitor progress and report results.

Through the P.C.P. program, on September 7, 2010, City Council adopted the following corporate and community G.H.G. reduction targets;

5% reduction from 2007 levels by 2015;
20% reduction from 2007 levels by 2020; and,
80% reduction from 2007 levels by 2050.

Durham Community Energy Plan

On June 2, 2010, Regional Council adopted the following G.H.G. reduction targets:

5% reduction from 2007 levels by 2015;
20% reduction from 2007 levels by 2020; and,
80% reduction from 2007 levels by 2050.

On April 24, 2019, Regional Council approved the Durham Community Energy Plan (D.C.E.P.), in principle. The D.C.E.P. is a long-term plan to achieve the above-mentioned targets by improving energy efficiency and reducing energy consumption across the Region.

Corporate Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan

The City of Oshawa is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption as a corporation.

The City of Oshawa has completed all five milestones of the P.C.P program for its Corporate G.H.G. Reduction Plan and continues to monitor its progress.

The City is also required to provide a Corporate Facilities Energy Management Plan to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks, which was recently updated in 2019.

Community Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan

The Draft Community G.H.G. Reduction Plan (the “Draft Plan”) was developed through a collaborative process and identifies various actions and opportunities that, once finalized, will reduce the G.H.G. emissions in Oshawa, while achieving additional environmental, social and economic benefits.

To join the mailing list for the Draft Plan or for more information please see the contact information below.

Background Reports

The following is a list of reports that relate to the Draft Plan:

DS-10-217 dated August 25, 2010 concerning the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Partners for Climate Protection Program;
DS-13-10 dated January 9, 2013 concerning the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario Annual Greenhouse Gas Progress report 2012;
DS-17-197 dated November 30, 2017 concerning the Proposed Terms of Reference for the City’s Community Greenhouse Gas (G.H.G.) Reduction Plan under the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Partners for Climate Protection Program; and,
DS-20-08 dated January 8, 2020 concerning the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Partners for Climate Protection Program – Draft Community Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan (Milestone 3).
DS-20-72 dated June 20, 2020 concerning a Non-statutory public meeting to discuss the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Partners for Climate Protection Program – Draft Community Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan (Milestone 3).

Input on the Draft Plan

The Oshawa community is invited to provide input on the Draft Plan that will help the City of Oshawa achieve its greenhouse gas reduction targets.

The Draft Plan is in response to the F.C.M.s P.C.P. program and considers feedback received from the community in 2019.

Community members are invited to provide input on the Draft Plan by completing a feedback form online on Connect Oshawa at www.connectoshawa.ca/GHG by July 9, 2020. Community members who prefer to complete the feedback form in another format are asked to call Services Oshawa at 905-436-3311 during regular business hours to complete the feedback questions over the phone.

Once finalized, the Draft Plan will satisfy milestone three of the P.C.P. program requirements for community plans. It will also identify specific actions and opportunities that will contribute to efforts to reduce community G.H.G. emissions in Oshawa, while integrating existing initiatives and collaborating with neighbourhood and industry leaders. It will also seek to advance strategies that are consistent with Regional and Provincial environmental plans, and provide a positive example for the community.

June 25, 2020 Non-Statutory Public Meeting Materials

The Oshawa Development Services Committee will be holding a Non-statutory public meeting on June 25, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. to consider Report DS-20-72 dated June 20, 2020 and obtain comments from the public on the Draft Plan. The input received at the Non-statutory Public Meeting will assist staff in the preparation of subsequent reports and as work to finalize the Draft Plan progresses.

All meeting materials are available on the City’s website at www.connectoshawa.ca/GHG.

Feedback on the Draft Plan will be received until 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 9, 2020 and will be considered in a future report to the Development Services Committee.

Climate Adaptation

Climate adaptation is about understanding the impacts that the changing climate will have on our City. This will help us develop plans to protect municipal investments and infrastructure, and create a more resilient City.

The Oshawa Strategic Plan commits is to evaluate and implement climate change adaptation measures. These measures will strengthen the City’s resilience to extreme weather events and reduce the impacts of climate change on the environment.

Durham Region's Future Climate (2040 - 2049) Summary gives us an idea of what the climate will look like in Oshawa in the near future. Using these weather projections, the City has worked closely with our partners at the Region in the development of the Durham Community Climate Adaptation Plan.

The main goals of climate adaptation are to:

Reduce the impacts of extreme weather events;
Reduce exposure to climate-related hazards; and,
Create a stronger, more resilient City.

Successful climate adaptation will not prevent the impacts of climate change. However, with careful planning, these impacts can be less severe. Successful adaptation measures can also help us take advantage of any long-term opportunities. Cities that invest in climate adaptation measures will benefit in the following ways:

Saving money;
Attracting new investments;
Protecting the health of residents; and,
Preserving the natural environment.