ClimateActionWR is a collaboration between local organizations, community members, and municipalities in Waterloo region, focused on climate change mitigation, led by Reep Green Solutions and Sustainable Waterloo Region. It coordinates the activities of our community’s climate action plans with a current greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction target of 80% GHG reduction by 2050.
In June 2021, the ClimateActionWR collaborative brought the TransformWR long term strategy and short term plan to all eight area municipal councils. The TransformWR strategy outlines our community’s pathway to an 80% greenhouse gas emission (GHG) reduction by 2050, and identifies local actions that can be taken in Waterloo region to reduce emissions 30% by 2030, our short-term ‘30by30’ interim target. The TransformWR strategy was developed to be the guiding document that outlines the work that needs to be done by all members of our community, including municipal governments, businesses, community organizations, and residents of Waterloo Region. It identifies and outlines six transformative changes that will help us build an equitable, prosperous, and resilient low carbon community by 2050 by reducing vehicle travel, switching to zero emission vehicles, transitioning businesses and homes off fossil fuels, shifting toward a circular economy, and growing our local food system.
Additionally in 2021, the TransformWR Strategy was launched as a web-based platform to help highlight the key components of the strategy. The next stages include not only implementing the actions we already understand, but continually working to identify additional actions of ‘how’ we go about taking climate action. In order to address climate change, we must all continually look for opportunities to contribute to and exceed this community goal where we live, work and play. Lastly, we must ensure that our actions are fundamentally advancing equity, economic development, and future prosperity, and leveraging the energy transition to do that.
In addition to endorsing the TransformWR strategy, all Councils passed an additional interim absolute community GHG emissions reduction target of 50% by 2030. The TransformWR strategy outlines the steps to achieve a 30% local community GHG reduction by 2030 through a list of 78 action items in the TransformWR 10-year plan. With support from Provincial and Federal levels of government to reduce emissions outside our local control, and through actions that multiply the impact of our local actions (such as decarbonizing Ontario’s electricity grid), this will put us on track to meet our community’s interim target of a 50% GHG reduction by 2030.
The first step towards our long term goal is achieving our short-term target of a 6% reduction (based on 2010 baseline levels) by 2020. Our GHG re-inventory process is currently underway, and results will be available by the end of 2022. At that time, we will learn Waterloo Region’s progress and how we can continue forward towards our 80% target by 2050.
A campaign conducted by both the Residential and Workplaces Sector Committees that produced a series of community resources such as a webinar series, blog posts, and case studies addressing the knowledge gaps that exist on heat pump upgrading in homes and commercial buildings.
A project conducted by the Transportation Sector Committee to initiate the conversation of addressing potential gaps in cycling routes in the City of Cambridge in equity-deserving communities as per “TransformWR Action 1.3.4: Develop active transportation and transit programs that target equity-deserving communities”.
An event conducted by the Transportation Sector Committee that facilitated a discussion with four (4) key panelists and participants to address what equity in active transportation means to the community, what gaps and challenges are currently present in Waterloo Region, and connecting initiatives that are already existing.