City of Winnipeg poised to adopt new climate change goal

The City of Winnipeg is poised to adopt a new greenhouse gas reduction target after spending most of the past decade shirking its climate change commitments.

City council's climate change working group is recommending the city reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 61,607 carbon dioxide tonnes by 2022.

If achieved, that would amount toa 14-per-cent reduction from 2013, when thecity's greenhouse gas emissions were pegged at 72,000 carbon dioxide equivalenttonnes.

From 2007 to 2013, the city increased its greenhouse gas emissions by20.5 per cent, from 60,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions to 72,000 CO2 equivalent tonnes.

• Winnipeg fails to meet climate-change goal

The city plans to reverse this trend by hiring three new climate change officers to ensure the city meets its new target, according to a report authored by the climate change working group.

"These additional dedicated positions should be in place by 2018 to support work in the areas of green building, waste reduction and community initiatives," states the report, slated tocome before council's executive policy committee on Wednesday.

The report also calls for the city to develop a community-wide climate change policy, at a cost of $94,000.

On paper, the city reduced its greenhouse gas emissions from 1998 to 2007. That was achieved primarily by selling Winnipeg Hydro to Manitoba Hydro and transferring all the city utility's assets to the provincial Crown corporation.