Top marks: The City of Calgary earns another “A” on Climate
Calgary has once again earned its place on the global stage for climate leadership as it secures a position on the prestigious "A list" by CDP (formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project). This recognition marks the sixth consecutive year Calgary has made the list, showcasing our unwavering commitment to climate action and transparency, while working towards the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.
Only 13 per cent of the 939 municipalities reporting to CDP achieved A-list recognition. Joining Calgary on the A list are Edmonton, Halifax, Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver and Windsor, a testament to the nation's collective dedication to climate action.
Carolyn Bowen, Director of Climate & Environment, emphasized The City's commitment to creating a climate resilient city by building a foundation now for the future: "To achieve our goal of net-zero by 2050, Calgary is taking action by developing new programs and eventually regulations that will be accessible to all Calgarians. We know we’re headed in the right direction with the recognition received from CDP. While it will take some time to see the impact of our efforts, we’re building momentum and capacity for more ambitious climate actions in the coming years.”
Calgary’s success is attributed to having a net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions target by 2050, and a short- and long-term plan to get there while demonstrating best practice standards across climate adaptation and mitigation actions. We have outlined our actions over the next four years in the 2023-2026 Climate Implementation Plan and are working toward our longer-term science-based climate targets by implementing the Calgary Climate Strategy - Pathways to 2050.
We are moving quickly to get new programs into market to help Calgary adapt to hazards that are becoming worse because of climate change, while reducing emissions from buildings, homes and mobility - which represent Calgary’s biggest opportunity to reduce city-wide GHG emissions.
Homes
Homeowners can access the Clean Energy Improvement Program for flexible financing to pay for energy efficiency and renewable upgrades, and repay through their property tax bill. To help make homes more resilient to climate hazards, the Climate Ready Home Program informs choices homeowners can make during a renovation or construction project, or to regular home maintenance.
The Home Energy Labelling Program provides builders a rebate for EnerGuide labels on new low-density homes, which will become mandatory at the end of 2024. This phased approach to regulating energy labels while sharing open data empowers Calgarians to make informed decisions to reduce their energy costs and GHG emissions, ultimately driving demand for lower- emission homes.
Buildings
The Green buildings priority stream encourages energy efficient buildings by prioritizing development applications for new buildings that are certified net zero or net zero-ready. To support the practice of energy benchmarking for commercial and institutional buildings, BenchmarkYYC provides participants an energy scorecard to make informed decisions about reducing energy use and measuring energy performance against other similar buildings in Calgary.
City-owned infrastructure and capital projects will see increased investment in climate adaptation and emissions reduction measures through the Centralized Climate Fund to support capital projects, and the Sustainable Infrastructure Program to invest in climate-resilient infrastructure upgrades.
Mobility Pathways
Build Calgary’s active modes network – 5A network – is investing $56 million to design and build more walking and wheeling projects to provide more people with more climate-friendly options for travelling in Calgary.
Calgary Transit is adding 259 electric busses by 2026, making one-quarter of the transit fleet zero-emission buses, while the Green Fleet Strategy modernizes municipal fleet vehicles, equipment, and fueling infrastructure to achieve a 60 per cent reduction of GHG emissions by 2030.
For more information on these programs and more, please visit City of Calgary or follow @CityofCalgary on social media.
How to Score an “A” Through the CDP
To score an A, local governments must publicly disclose through the CDP-ICLEI Track and have a community-wide emissions inventory, among other criteria. Local governments must set a renewable energy target for the future and have published a climate action plan. Additionally, they must complete a climate risk and vulnerability assessment and have a climate adaptation plan showing how they tackle climate hazards.
About CDP
CDP is a global non-profit that runs the world’s environmental disclosure system for companies, cities, states, and regions. Founded in 2000 and working with more than 680 investors with more than $130 trillion in assets, CDP pioneered using capital markets and corporate procurement to motivate companies to disclose their environmental impacts and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, safeguard water resources, and protect forests.
Nearly 20,000 organizations around the world disclosed data through CDP in 2022, including more than 18,700 companies worth 50 per cent of the global market capitalization, and over 1,100 cities, states, and regions. CDP is a founding member of the Science Based Targets initiative, We Mean Business Coalition, The Investor Agenda, and the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative. Visit CDP or follow @CDP for more information.