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City of Calgary Sustainable Community GHG Initiative

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The City of Calgary developed an integrated greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction plan to meet its commitments under the Calgary Climate Change Accord. Signed in October 2009 by nine members of the World Energy Cities Partnership, the accord sets specific government and community targets and calls for leadership on climate change. Calgary's response — the Community GHG Reduction Plan — sets targets of 20 per cent and 80 per cent below 2005 levels by 2020 and 2050 respectively, and 50 per cent below 1990 levels by 2036. In the short term, Calgary plans to use more combined heat and power (CHP) generation in new, high-density developments, and to find ways to generate more electricity at city facilities.

Results

Environmental Economic Social
  • Marks the final milestone in FCM's Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program
  • Encourages the development and use of low-carbon energy sources
  • Promotes diversion of organic matter from landfills
  • Encourages the development of green spaces that absorb carbon from the atmosphere
  • Focuses in the short term on GHG-reduction actions that break  even or save money
  • Attracts investment, diversifies the economy and increases job-market stability through a city-wide focus on energy efficiency
  • Promotes investment in clean energy, to improve air quality and make neighbourhoods more sustainable
  • Promotes multi-sector partnerships to encourage cooperation and pursuit of common goals

Challenges

  • Securing additional funding to match GMF support
  • Finding consensus among diverse stakeholder groups
  • Accommodating a lengthy approval process in the project schedule

Lessons learned

  • Build more approval time into project schedule.
  • Identify and engage stakeholders early in the planning process.
  • Anticipate sources of community resistance to plans.
  • Get public to push city council to approve GHG reduction plans.

Resources

Partners and collaborators

Project contact

Joëlle Rekers
Project Lead
Calgary, AB
T: 403-268-3604

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