Calgary city council declares a climate emergency
Author of the article: Madeline Smith
Publishing date: Nov 15, 2021 •
Publishing date: Nov 15, 2021 •
Mayor Jyoti Gondek speaks with the media after breakfast with energy industry leaders on Monday, November 15, 2021.
Azin Ghaffari/Postmedia
After nearly two hours of debate Monday night, city council overwhelmingly agreed to declare a climate emergency.
The 13-2 vote comes two years after Edmonton made its own emergency declaration, and it was one of Mayor Jyoti Gondek’s first moves after being elected last month.
In addition to the emergency declaration, the motion calls the City of Calgary environmental plan to be updated to aim for net-zero emissions by 2050.
Gondek said the move is about aligning the city government with the position Calgary oil and gas companies are already taking.
“It is a matter of making sure that we understand the reality of the table stakes that are declaring a climate emergency, so we can actually attract capital and talent here,” she said.
Coun. Sean Chu and Coun. Dan McLean, the two votes in opposition, said they were concerned about council sending a negative message to Alberta’s oil and gas industry.
“Fossil fuels have, if anything, made human life on this planet better, not worse. They have blessed humans with the capability of living successfully in a harsh natural climate like ours,” Chu said.
“Declaring a climate emergency should not take priority over the economic emergency and jobs emergency in Calgary.”
Coun. Jasmine Mian said she rejects the idea that the motion represents an “attack” on the oil and gas sector.
“When facing a collective action problem like climate change, the greatest threat is thinking that everyone else will take care of it,” she said.
Coun. Sonya Sharp wanted council to change the wording of the declaration from “climate emergency” to a “call to action” to accelerate the environmental work the city is already doing.
But she could only get a handful of council colleagues on her side, with others saying they feared changing that language could water down its intent. Numerous cities around the world have declared a climate emergency, and city officials said if Calgary didn’t use the same language, it wouldn’t be on that same level.
Ahead of the council discussion, energy company representatives and business leaders met with city council members, and Gondek said it represents how the municipal government is forging a new relationship with the energy sector.
“There are so many accomplishments in the energy transition that we just haven’t been talking about. The narrative has to get out there that our city and our energy sector is doing good work — they have set some very, very high targets for bringing emissions under control.”
Calgary Chamber president and CEO Deborah Yedlin said Monday that the business community’s reaction to the proposed motion varies depending who you ask, and some have been concerned about the possible message behind it.
But she doesn’t believe there should be cause for concern, saying Calgary has an opportunity to become “the Silicon Valley for energy transition technologies.”
“When we have this kind of pronouncement by the city, it puts us on the map. It takes away some regulatory uncertainty, it takes away that perspective that we’re not committed and that people will look at us again in a different light,” she said.
“And that’s what’s really exciting because there is a lot of money on the sidelines looking to invest in the energy transformation, and we are so well-positioned to do that.”
Explorers and Producers Association of Canada president Tristan Goodman added that energy companies have already gotten on board with commitments to pursue net-zero emissions by 2050 and combat climate change.
“We know we have an emissions problem, and we have to show to Canadians, but also actually our own investors, that we treat this seriously — which we do,” he said.
Avatar Innovations CEO and co-founder Kevin Krausert said there hasn’t historically been ties as strong as he’d like to see between municipal leaders and the energy sector, and Monday’s meeting helps create new connections.
“I think Calgary stands at an important crossroads,” he said.
“The energy transition is the single greatest economic opportunity facing Calgary. We’re literally talking about rewiring and repowering the world.”
masmith@postmedia.com
Gondek hosting breakfast with energy industry leaders ahead of decision on climate emergency declaration
After nearly two hours of debate Monday night, city council overwhelmingly agreed to declare a climate emergency.
The 13-2 vote comes two years after Edmonton made its own emergency declaration, and it was one of Mayor Jyoti Gondek’s first moves after being elected last month.
In addition to the emergency declaration, the motion calls the City of Calgary environmental plan to be updated to aim for net-zero emissions by 2050.
Gondek said the move is about aligning the city government with the position Calgary oil and gas companies are already taking.
“It is a matter of making sure that we understand the reality of the table stakes that are declaring a climate emergency, so we can actually attract capital and talent here,” she said.
Coun. Sean Chu and Coun. Dan McLean, the two votes in opposition, said they were concerned about council sending a negative message to Alberta’s oil and gas industry.
“Fossil fuels have, if anything, made human life on this planet better, not worse. They have blessed humans with the capability of living successfully in a harsh natural climate like ours,” Chu said.
“Declaring a climate emergency should not take priority over the economic emergency and jobs emergency in Calgary.”
Coun. Jasmine Mian said she rejects the idea that the motion represents an “attack” on the oil and gas sector.
“When facing a collective action problem like climate change, the greatest threat is thinking that everyone else will take care of it,” she said.
Coun. Sonya Sharp wanted council to change the wording of the declaration from “climate emergency” to a “call to action” to accelerate the environmental work the city is already doing.
But she could only get a handful of council colleagues on her side, with others saying they feared changing that language could water down its intent. Numerous cities around the world have declared a climate emergency, and city officials said if Calgary didn’t use the same language, it wouldn’t be on that same level.
Ahead of the council discussion, energy company representatives and business leaders met with city council members, and Gondek said it represents how the municipal government is forging a new relationship with the energy sector.
“There are so many accomplishments in the energy transition that we just haven’t been talking about. The narrative has to get out there that our city and our energy sector is doing good work — they have set some very, very high targets for bringing emissions under control.”
Calgary Chamber president and CEO Deborah Yedlin said Monday that the business community’s reaction to the proposed motion varies depending who you ask, and some have been concerned about the possible message behind it.
But she doesn’t believe there should be cause for concern, saying Calgary has an opportunity to become “the Silicon Valley for energy transition technologies.”
“When we have this kind of pronouncement by the city, it puts us on the map. It takes away some regulatory uncertainty, it takes away that perspective that we’re not committed and that people will look at us again in a different light,” she said.
“And that’s what’s really exciting because there is a lot of money on the sidelines looking to invest in the energy transformation, and we are so well-positioned to do that.”
Explorers and Producers Association of Canada president Tristan Goodman added that energy companies have already gotten on board with commitments to pursue net-zero emissions by 2050 and combat climate change.
“We know we have an emissions problem, and we have to show to Canadians, but also actually our own investors, that we treat this seriously — which we do,” he said.
Avatar Innovations CEO and co-founder Kevin Krausert said there hasn’t historically been ties as strong as he’d like to see between municipal leaders and the energy sector, and Monday’s meeting helps create new connections.
“I think Calgary stands at an important crossroads,” he said.
“The energy transition is the single greatest economic opportunity facing Calgary. We’re literally talking about rewiring and repowering the world.”
masmith@postmedia.com
Gondek hosting breakfast with energy industry leaders ahead of decision on climate emergency declaration
Author of the article:Stephanie Babych
Publishing date:Nov 15, 2021 •
Mayor Jyoti Gondek speaks at an orientation outlining the 2022 Adjustments to the One Calgary Service Plans and Budgets report at Calgary Municipal Building on Monday, November 8, 2021.
PHOTO BY AZIN GHAFFARI/POSTMEDIA
Calgary’s mayor and councillors will be joined by a number of energy industry leaders for breakfast Monday morning, ahead of city council’s decision on a motion to declare a climate emergency.
Leaders from the energy sector will meet with Mayor Jyoti Gondek and councillors early Monday to discuss the industry and the notice of motion to declare a climate emergency that would also update Calgary’s environmental plan to aim for net-zero emissions by 2050.
The energy companies that will be represented at the Mayor’s Energy Breakfast include Suncor, Shell, Enbridge and Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance.
“I want us to have a candid, open discussion to move forward on this journey so that by 2050 we reach our targets,” Coun. Raj Dhaliwal said Sunday.
“I’m very optimistic and hopeful that we’ll have a very good discussion. I worked in the energy sector for more than 10 years, I’ve seen it first-hand and been a witness to the great work that our energy sector has already been doing through innovation and technology.”
Also present at the meeting will be TC Energy, Imperial, Avatar Innovations, White Cap Resources, Young Pipeliners Association of Canada, The Explorers and Producers of Canada, Energy Futures Lab, and Ecosystems at Sustainable Tech Canada.
City council’s executive committee unanimously agreed last week to discuss a motion to endorse a declaration of climate emergency at Monday’s council meeting, where a final decision is expected.
The motion also asks for the city’s environmental plan to be updated to include the goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, which is a worldwide target to stop adding heat-trapping carbon emissions to the atmosphere and limit global warming to 1.5 C.
“My biggest hope this week is that we get on that journey to net-zero,” said Dhaliwal, adding that he hopes to see unanimous agreement from his fellow councillors.
The Ward 5 councillor said it’s long overdue for Calgary to make such a statement.
A number of other Canadian cities have declared climate emergencies, including Edmonton in 2019. Corporations including Shell, Cenovus, Repsol and Teck have also previously committed to net-zero emissions targets by 2050.
The discussions and decisions that will be made Monday show that Calgary council is committed to focusing on its climate targets and that they recognize the significance of it, Ward 3 Coun. Jasmine Mian said Sunday.
“I think declaring a climate emergency is a really important step for us at this juncture. I think it shows we have a strong commitment to addressing climate change,” said Mian.
“I think the conversations we’re having around reaching net-zero by 2050 are going to require us to reframe how we make decisions and think about climate not so much as a policy that sits on the shelf with all the other policies, but is a consideration that underscores everything we do.”
Mian said the breakfast meeting is an excellent opportunity to learn more about what’s being done and what can be done to meet the city’s climate targets.
sbabych@postmedia.com
Twitter: @BabychStephanie
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