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“If we do nothing, the cost of inaction could rise to an average of $ 7.8 billion a year in the 2080s.”
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May 31, 2022 • 13 hours ago • 3 minutes reading • 66 comments Calgary City Hall was photographed on Thursday, October 21, 2021. Azin Ghaffari / Postmedia
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Reducing citywide emissions to zero net by 2050 will cost about $ 87 billion, but the cost of inaction is even greater, a city council committee heard on Tuesday.
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The community development committee spent Tuesday afternoon discussing the city’s updated climate plan, called “Calgary Climate Strategy – Pathways to 2050.” It is an update of a climate strategy approved by the council in 2018.
The strategy sets the cost of zero-city-wide emissions at zero net over the next 28 years at $ 87 billion, or about $ 3.1 billion a year.
But inaction on climate mitigation would come at a higher price, Calgary City Director of Climate Change and Environment Dick Ebersohn told the committee.
“If we do nothing, the cost of inaction could rise to an average of $ 7.8 billion a year in the 2080s,” he said.
Ebersohn said the city also estimated that the zero net transition will result in $ 60 billion to $ 80 billion in energy savings for Calgarines by 2050.
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He added that the city will also have to invest in reducing climate risk, with threats from extreme storms, floods and heat waves.
Coun. Kourtney Penner acknowledged the possibility of an adhesive blow by the calgars, but said it is important to consider other costs of inaction, such as the loss of clean air or clean water.
“These are staggering numbers, and it’s very difficult to clear your head, for sure,” said Penner, who chairs the committee. He said the $ 87 billion would not come from the city’s coffers alone.
“This is a joint investment between all levels of government, between the private sector and between citizens who are investing in a zero net future for 2050.”
Councilors Evan Spencer, left, Kourtney Penner and Richard Pootmans on Monday, December 20, 2021. Azin Ghaffari / Postmedia
The administration said they are currently seeking a $ 3.2 billion investment from the federal government.
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The city plan outlines several key areas for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions over the next few decades.
This includes improving the clean energy supply, ensuring that new buildings meet zero net standards, and making a faster transition to zero-emission vehicles.
More than two dozen speakers addressed the committee during a public hearing on Tuesday, all of whom expressed support for the climate strategy.
Calgary Climate Hub director Angela McIntyre told the board that her nonprofit is a supporter of the climate framework, but believes there is not enough left in some areas.
The group outlined several areas where they wanted to see more commitments. These included explicitly declaring support for traffic priorities such as the Green Line or getting the public company Enmax to zero in its electricity generation in 2035.
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“We are very grateful that you are moving in that direction and you can keep your head high that we are working to achieve these goals,” McIntyre said.
“We know we have more goals and more goals to set before we can make sure we are achieving those goals.”
Power lines behind an Enmax sign in Calgary on Monday, April 25, 2022. Darren Makowichuk / Postmedia
Penner said city departments and agencies, including Calgary Transit and Enmax, will also have their own climate strategies to complement the city document.
A representative of the Calgary construction industry praised the strategy, but expressed concern over the idea of modernizing existing buildings with zero net standards.
Frano Cavar of the Calgary Building Association said modifying existing buildings to be zero can be prohibitive and said ensuring that new buildings meet standards is key.
Other speakers on Tuesday included young people from the city with Fridays for Future, Calgary Economic Development and former city councilor Bob Hawkesworth.
The committee voted 5-1 to send the climate strategy to a full council meeting on June 7, with the Council. Richard Pootmans objected.
Pootmans had tabled an amendment to include provisions in the climate strategy for the independent audit, which the committee also adopted.
jherring@postmedia.com
Twitter: @jasonfherring
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