Dufferin County declares climate emergency

Written By Paula Brown

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Dufferin County Council has passed a motion declaring a climate emergency in the county. 

Janet Horner, Mayor of Mulmur, brought forward the motion which was adopted at the Sept. 8 County council meeting. Mulmur council previously declared a climate emergency in the township back in July. 

“In recent years, Dufferin County residents and businesses have experienced more frequent and extreme weather events, such as the historic 2017 flood, and climate projections show that our community will continue to get wetter, warmer, and wilder,” said Coun. Horner. “The adoption of the Dufferin Climate Action Plan, which set a goal of net-zero by 2050, was an important milestone for the County. Through this declaration, we are reaffirming and strengthening our commitment to addressing the climate emergency.” 

In March of 2021, Dufferin County adopted the Climate Action Plan, which outlined a series of actions to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and build resilience to existing climate impacts. In the first year of implementation, over 27 actions have been initiated including the installation of an electric vehicle charging station network.

According to the County, the network has seen over 1,989 uses resulting in a reduction of approximately six tonnes of carbon dioxide tailpipe emissions. 

As part of the motion, the County has committed to a number of actions to strengthen the response to climate change including: 

• Supporting the development of local municipal climate implementation plans 

• Incentivizing better building efficiency through Green Development Standards and Home Energy Retrofit Program

• Increasing public accessibility to electric vehicle charging infrastructure through a rural electric vehicle fast-charging network 

• Launching a volunteer program to empower Dufferin youth to take climate action 

• Continuing to share an annual report card to the public on the progress of the County's climate commitments 

• Creating a community Climate Adaption Plan 

• Completing a greenhouse gas budget to support the 2025 update of the Dufferin Climate Action Plan 

• Developing a corporate climate plan and incorporating climate priorities into future strategic plans 

• Ensuring the Climate Emergency Declaration is at the heart of all future staff reports and operations 

• Continuing to investigate new opportunities for additional climate actions

With the emergency declaration, Dufferin County has joined 644 Canadian municipalities and over 1,200 jurisdictions globally in acknowledging that climate change and the climate crisis poses a serious risk to the environment, infrastructure and people. 

“Today Dufferin County is joining municipalities across the world in declaring a climate emergency and committing to further climate action,” said Sonya Pritchard, chief administrative officer. “As the County continues to integrate climate consideration in policies, strategies, and budgets, this climate emergency declaration will help us respond with the necessary urgency to ensure Dufferin County continues to thrive and embrace new opportunities in a changing climate.” 

To learn more about the County's climate initiatives residents can connect with Climate Action in Dufferin via the County website or through social media channels. Residents are encouraged to visit the Dufferin County Climate Hub to discover how they can take action and support local climate goals.