Regina's executive committee to discuss city's plan to become net-zero by 2050
CBC
Ten days after Regina released its Energy & Sustainability Framework, the city's executive committee will meet Thursday for a special meeting to discuss the plan.
If approved by city council, the framework would function as a guide for future energy, emissions and sustainability related decisions, according to the executive committee's revised special agenda.
The goal to become a net-zero city by 2050 was set unanimously by council in 2018.
"This is an important milestone in our journey to become a renewable city," said Louise Folk, executive director of People & Transformation with the city, in a release on March 14.
"The Energy & Sustainability Framework is ambitious and requires sustained effort from the City of Regina, residents and all sectors of the community."
The proposed plan is expected to help reduce Regina's emissions by 52 per cent and cut energy by 24 per cent by 2030, according to the release.
The city projects that the actions in the framework could result in $12.5 billion in financial returns by 2050, as well as an average net growth of more than 4,000 jobs per year.
The cost is estimated at $11.5 billion, the executive committee's revised special agenda says.
The plan follows the principle of reducing emissions, improving energy consumption, and switching to renewable or low carbon energy sources.
The framework lays out seven significant actions, called "Big Moves," as well as 31 related actions the city would have to take to reach the goal of nearly net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
According to the framework, the city needs to commit to:
The plan was developed with consultant Sustainability Solutions Group.
If approved, the first annual progress report would be considered by city council in the second quarter of 2023.
To examine the city's current energy use, more than 70 data sets were collected and analyzed.
This First Person column is the experience of Shannon Flaman, who lives in Red Deer, Alta. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
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