Ontario Construction News staff writer
The City of Guelph’s 2022 environmental sustainability report highlights the outcomes, accomplishments, and opportunities for improvement across six key areas identified in Guelph’s “race to zero”.
“Our goal as a community is to be net-zero carbon by 2050 and we’re always thinking about energy efficiency and ways to reduce carbon emissions to fight climate change,” says Jayne Holmes, deputy chief administrative officer, infrastructure, development and enterprise services. “We have to keep investing in the programs, services, and education that will make the most difference in our community and for our future, and we need the community to join us in the Race To Zero.”
2022 sustainability success highlights:
- added four new electric vehicles with quiet, zero-tailpipe emissions
- launched the Kids Ride Free pilot with over 16,081 rides taken
- added nine kilometres to the City’s cycling network
- kept more than half of household waste out of landfills with less waste created per person than the provincial and national averages
- naturalized 6.2 hectares of City-owned land, an area larger than the Roger’s Centre/Skydome
- planted 15,650 native trees and shrubs, 750 large canopy trees, and about 7,500 native wildflowers and grasses
- captured enough gas from biosolids to power 1,618 homes for a year; this energy was used to partially power the Water Resource Recovery Centre
- provided 561 residential water rebates saving about 100,400 litres of water
Recent data on greenhouse gas emissions shows an increase compared to 2020 when COVID restrictions were at peak, however, the numbers are lower than pre-COVID years and demonstrate that overall, “Guelph is making progress on reducing emissions.”
“Only with the whole community’s efforts, will we get to Guelph’s targets of net zero by 2050 and a 63 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and win the race to zero.”