Climate Change Action Plan

Over the next few ENEWS editions, I will be sharing various climate change goals and actions that staff have initiated in Flamborough / Hamilton. Sign up for Councillor Partridge’s monthly ENEWS here.

In light of COVID-19, I along with staff have remained committed to improving our energy efficiency, reducing GHG (Green House Gas) emissions and increasing our resiliency to the impacts of climate change to work towards these goals for climate change and mitigation.

Recently, staff presented their annual report to Board of Health on climate change goals and progress made for 2020, as well as updated timelines, Hamilton’s Community Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions between 2006-2018 and more. These nine goals are broken down into what different departments and teams have collaboratively worked on for the past year to mitigate and adapt to climate changes.

Goal 1: To increase the number of new and existing high-performance state-of-the-art buildings that improve energy efficiency and adapt to a changing climate.

New police building has been certified in the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) and connected to District Energy that reduces energy consumption and GHG emissions.
Public-private partnership (P3) for the Biosolids Facilities that converts waste into re-useable, stable fertilizer or fuel
Retrofitted six pumping stations and two outstations (Waterdown) with high efficiency motors to reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions
Continue to implement anti-stagnation valves in water distribution system. Energy consumption offsets to date are 3,099,948 kWh
Westmount Solar Thermal Project that offsets natural gas consumption reducing GHG emissions
Commitment to prioritize bids for City-owned land near the waterfront that commit to design and construction techniques which demonstrate a consideration for environmental impacts and sustainable development
Bay Area Climate Change Council created building implementation team to begin work plan to accelerate retrofits of privately-owned buildings

Goal 2: To change the modal split and investigate strategies so that more trips are taken by active and sustainable transportation than single use occupancy vehicles

COVID-19 Recovery Phase Mobility plan completed and implementation underway
Report on implementation to expand car share programs including “floating car share”underway and expected to be sent to Council Q4 2020
Implementation of several electronic permit processes to avoid trips taken
675 meters of trails constructed across the City
Shoreline protection improvement projects including Waterfront trail to improve active transportation connections
Ongoing promotion of existing sustainable transportation programs including employee transit passes, Social Bicycle Hamilton (SOBI) memberships and leading transformation of Smart Commute
Installed 11kilometres(km)of bike lanes (one way)and3.3 km of multi-use paths/trails
Enhanced 4.3 km of existing bicycle lanes with modified buffers/barriers

Goal 3: To accelerate the uptake of modes of transportation that are low and/or zero emissions

Purchased two zero emission litter pickers
Purchase Orders for two Kia Souls Electric Vehicles (EV)
Purchase Orders for two electric units for ice resurfacing
Green Fleet Policy underway
Installed four EV charging stations with Request for Proposal to install 20 more throughout 2021
Purchase and deployed two hybrid ambulances
Downsized fivetrucks/SUVs/Vans to smaller vehicles that reduces gas consumption and GHG emissions.

Goal 4: To ensure a climate change lens is applied to all planning initiatives to encourage the use of best climate mitigation and adaptation practices

Drafted Energy and Environmental Assessment Report requirement for new development proposals
Drafted climate change evaluation framework/lens as part of GRIDS 2
Community Energy Plan created Stakeholder Advisory Committee, conducted stakeholder interviews, completed Business As Planned (BAP) modelling, created low carbon action catalogue and online surveys
Sewer flow monitoring program to collect data to quantify effect of climate change on sewer collection system and allow for appropriate planning
Rain Gauges Monitoring Program to collect data to quantify precipitation impacts to allow for appropriate planning

Goal 5: To procure goods, services and construction from vendors who conduct their business in a sustainable and ethical manner that considers equity, diversity and inclusion that contributes to the greater good of the community

Draft Social Procurement report underway
Continuously altering specifications to include the use of low carbon products, recycled materials and re-use of materials in projects

Goal 6: To increase our carbon sinks and local food production through the preservation and enhancement of the natural environment, including local farmland (including Flamborough Park wetland restoration project in partnership with Halton Conservation)

Flamborough Park wetland restoration project in partnership with Halton Conservation
City of Hamilton Bee City designation that increases commitment and awareness of protecting pollinators
Planted 5,500 large caliper trees
Planted 600 2-gallon stock trees
Private tree giveaway of 500 trees in Wards 3 and 5
Participated in 50 million trees program planting 4,800 bare root seedlings
Planted 1,000 large caliper trees in subdivisions

Goal 7: To improve Hamilton’s climate resiliency by decreasing our vulnerability to extreme weather, minimizing future damages, take advantage of opportunities, and better recover from future damages

Waterfront trail elevation project to raise grades of trail that seasonally floods
Shoreline protection improvement projects that included erosion mitigation material added to three sites at Confederation Beach Park
Began evaluation of Intensity Duration Frequency (IDF)curves with consideration of climate change to ensure new infrastructure is sized appropriately to handle more intense and frequent storms
Began Environmental Assessment to identify preferred flood mitigating solutions for Beach Neighbourhood flooding and elevated Lake Ontario water levels
Increasing drain connections in parks/play infrastructure to avoid standing water and degradation of wood fibre
Fifty Road Parkette shoreline protection project and completion of Fifty Road that set precedent on how we can continue protecting our shoreline moving forward.

Goal 8: To ensure all our work promotes equity, diversity, health and inclusion and improves collaboration and consultation with all marginalized groups, including local Indigenous Peoples

Completion of Municipal-Indigenous Relationship Building related to City-Initiated Archaeological and Natural Heritage Assessment
Indigenous community collaboration on shoreline protection and monitoring to learn more about cultural and natural significance of the land
Play structure engagement meetings taking place in neighbourhood to improve participation and feedback from all residents

Goal 9: To increase the knowledge and empower City staff and the Hamilton community including business, Non-Government Organizations and individual citizens while advocating to higher levels of government to take action on climate change

Submitted Hamilton’s 2018 GHG emissions to Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a global open platform to increase transparency of Hamilton’s GHG emissions profile
Hamilton North End’s Sustainabile Neighbourhood Action Plan online webinar completed to increase neighbourhood awareness on importance of climate change
Scheduling homeowner energy retrofit online workshops in partnership with City of Burlington to increase knowledge of deep energy retrofits
Amended Anti-Idling By-law to Administrative Penalties System (APS) and assigned responsibility to parking enforcement

Stay tuned for more progress on SMART Goals for climate mitigation and adaptation in the April edition of ENEWS.