City of Burlington Welcomes Global Climate Strike to Civic Square
Please see below a media release issued by the City of Burlington.Burlington, Ont.— Sept. 18, 2019— Burlington City Hall will be one of over 3,500 event locations planned for the Sept. 20 Global Climate Strike. The City will welcome all residents who would like to show their support for the #ClimateStrike and #FridaysfortheFuture.Some members of council will attend the event to recognize the climate strike in Burlington and listen to feedback from residents.The City of Burlington continues to work on climate and environmental issues and this April, Council declared a Climate Emergency “for the purposes of deepening our commitment to protecting the economy, environment and community from climate change.” Related recommendations are being presented to Council in December based on research and engagement with residents for next steps.This June, Burlington staff presented Take Action Burlington – An Update on Our Local Environment to Council. Council endorsed this Update Report which provides an overview on the state of Burlington’s environment and highlights local sustainability efforts and actions that can be taken.Climate change and action is a priority for the City of Burlington. Supporting sustainable infrastructure and a resilient environment is one of the focus areas identified in Burlington’s 2018-2022 Plan: From Vision to Focus, which is the City’s work plan prioritizing key strategic directions and details the goals and actions to make progress.Staff are working on these projects and initiatives with a focus on the environment:
- Skyway Arena redevelopment is being designed to be a low carbon operation using geothermal heating
- Cityview Park Pavilion is being designed to be net carbon zero operation using solar panels
- Flood mitigation studies and work to widen and deepen creeks for storm capacity
- Updating the Emergency Management Plan to make Burlington a prepared and resilient city
- Roseland Private Tree Bylaw and tree planting
- Cycling and transportation plan
These projects have been completed:
- Joseph Brant Museum has a green roof and geothermal heating
- There are 29 EV charging stations on City of Burlington property
- City of Burlington streetlights were upgraded to LED lighting last year
- Tansley Woods Community Centre has solar thermal panels to heat water
- Fire Station 8 has solar PV panels
The City of Burlington recognizes that this is only the beginning but we can’t do it alone. This summer, staff attended events and held community workshops to gather resident feedback on what the City can do to help residents join the fight to save the climate and inform the Climate Action Plan. Residents who would like to give their feedback can complete the survey at https://www.getinvolvedburlington.ca/climate-action-plan.MY TAKE:We all need to work together to reach our goal of a net carbon neutral city. The City of Burlington is taking action where it matters and are targeting city operations be net carbon neutral by 2040. Staff continue to work on initiatives to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change. I ask private businesses and citizens to take action too: at home, at work and in their transportation choices. This staff report is not the beginning for us, but another important step on a journey the city has been on for some time regarding climate action. Our health, livelihoods and futures are directly linked to the environment. Real change requires all of us working in tandem.LINKS AND RESOURCES: