Cities taking lead role on climate change, Edmonton mayor says

Cities and municipalities will lead the charge in tackling global climate change, Mayor Don Iveson said Tuesday as Edmonton unveiled its community partners ahead of an international climate conference in March.

The city will host a first-of-its-kind Cities and Climate Change Science Conference March5-7, co-sponsored by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Speakingat the ShawConference Centre Tuesday, Iveson said the upcoming climate change eventbe a chance to show leadership on a local level.

"As nation-states can squabble about whether they're committed to this or not," Iveson said. "We see mayors around the world working together with their communities and with their business leaders from the bottom up to tackle these global challenges."

Edmonton is expecting some 800 international visitors to the conference.

Before it starts, the city is hosting several community events, including lectures, art exhibits and science fairs in itsChange for Climate Communityseries.

The series includesa panel discussion at the Art Gallery of Alberta with University of Alberta professors on March1, a MacEwan University student art exhibition at Allard Hall from March1-8, and a University of Alberta student art exhibition at Rutherford Library, March 1-22.

"Art plays an important role in challenging people to think, to bring people together and to engage public in different ways than other language can," said U of A professorSean Caulfield, who's coordinating the art events.

Brad Fehr, an alumni from the U of A's department of art and design, will have his work displayed during the conference and then later at the Rutherford Library.

Fehr used dash-cam imagery that was circulating during theFort McMurray fires toillustrate themesrelevant to climate change and "to talk about climate change and the social and economic realities of itand sort of how we're finding our way through it in the midst of increasing environmental disaster," hesaid.

The biggest threat

The biggest climate change-relatedthreat to Edmonton isserious storms, Iveson said.

He said so farthe city is looking at spending at least $2.5 billion to upgrade its drainage system.

"If we want to deal with the storms that could hit us in the future with a warmer climate and more extreme storm events, then that bill climbs to billions more," he said.

• 'New normal' for Edmonton storm drainage would cost $2.6B, city report says
• Mill Woods residents frustrated by flood mitigation work
• Edmonton student chosen to represent Canada at UN climate conference in Germany

Iveson saidconference attendees will discuss municipal solid waste, public transit and the building sector. He said Edmonton has many "green, high performing buildings."

New city-owned buildings are built to meet a minimum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standard, according to the city's website.

"This conference will give an opportunity to show that Alberta and Edmonton climate credentials are real, and that while we produce hydrocarbon resources at the same time, we're doing so with sustainability in mind," Iveson said