Concerned Calgarians spoke at city council on Sept. 12, at a standing policy committee hearing on climate action in Calgary.
A Healthy and Green City is a service plan for Utilities and Corporate Services created by council for the budget cycle of 2019-2022, and was one of six different services plans that were presented in a series of hearings, where members of the public were able to speak.
Issues ranging from the upkeep of local parks, wetland and watershed management, and climate change were addressed by citizens.
Joe Vipond, a physician and member of the Calgary Climate Hub, gave council members statistics, showing that Calgary recorded a record high temperature this summer at 36.5 degrees Celsius.
Local residents were also exposed to 450 hours of smoke this summer because of wildfires, which is 100 hours more than the previous record.
Lastly, three of the five most-costly natural disasters that have occurred in Canada in the past six years took place in Alberta.
Vipond was one of several people who presented at the hearing on behalf of the climate hub, which is a non-profit organization that is working to support local action on climate change.
“Our idea was to go to each of the budget sessions to ensure that the climate plan that has been adopted will be funded and implemented,” Aida Nciri, the co-ordinator of Calgary Climate Hub, said in an interview.
The climate resiliency plan was adopted unanimously by council in June, but has yet to be funded.
“They had a good climate plan that came out in 2011 that sat on the shelf. It was never funded or staffed, and not surprisingly we missed all of our targets,” said Vipond in an interview after the hearing.
“This can’t just be greenwashing. This can’t just be good talking pieces and then forgotten, because it’s the funding and staffing that make a policy work,” Vipond said.
Alex Mann, another member of the climate hub, spoke at the hearing, was also worried it wouldn’t be properly funded, and staffed.
“Like many Calgarians, I was dismayed by the increasing severity of forest fires. This has been especially concerning to me as a parent, and has inspired me to become more involved in combating climate change,” Mann told the committee meeting.
Several members of the Calgary Climate Hub including Nciri and Mann asked for the creation of a low carbon action committee.
Their request included expert citizens and a non-profit organization providing advice and policies on how the climate plan would best be implemented, and monitored.
“This would ensure that there is some commitment and accountability to report on the action of the plan,” said Nciri.
Several members of Calgary Climate Hub also emphasized the promotion of public transit, and the benefits of making Calgary a more walkable city.
It’s not some other people that are affected in a future time, it is us, and it is now. – Joe Vipond
“We want the city to continue to invest in public transit. Not only because there will be fewer cars on the road, reducing congestion and improving air quality, but because it’s a way to build a more equitable city,” Nciri continued.
Vipond talked about the importance of embracing public transportation, and other forms of active transport.
“Locally, the number one cause of air pollution is transportation, so we need to start embracing active transportation. Walking, cycling, public transit, scootering, roller-skating,” Vipond said.
“It’s not all about putting solar panels on your roof. This is important but insufficient. It’s also about how you design and live in your city, it’s about how you experience your city,” Nciri said.
“You shouldn’t view these funds as just another expenditure, but as an important investment that will most certainly save us a lot of money down the road,” said Mann.
“We keep being told that this is about the environment, that it’s about polar bears and coral reefs. But really, it’s about us,” Vipond told council members.
“It’s not some other people that are affected in a future time, it is us, and it is now,” Vipond continued.
The full plan and budget will be presented by council in November.
