GBA Update - Summer 2020

6 ≥ www.georgianbay.ca GBA UPDATE Summer 2020 ENERGY By Dr. Becky Pollock and Benjamin John Working Together on Energy Management and Climate Action With contributions from the ICECAP steering committee and the co-chairs for 2020: Daryle Moffat t , Seguin Township Councillor and Forrest Pengra, Manager of Infrastructure and Technology for Town of Parry Sound. C limate change is altering the planet at an alarming rate and communities within the Georgian Bay Biosphere region are working together to find solutions. The ICECAP (Integrated Community Energy and Climate Action Plans) project is a way for municipalities and First Nations communities to understand their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, set emission reduction targets, and implement plans for action. ICECAP was created to support area councils and communities to embrace an energy future that produces fewer GHG emissions, including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. Coordinated by the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve (GBBR), it integrates two existing frameworks: a national program called Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) that over 400 municipalities have joined, and a provincial program for First Nations communities called the Indigenous Community Energy Plan (ICEP). Goals of ICECAP 1. Encourage the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions 2. Improve energy efficiency 3. Reduce the use of fossil fuels 4. Adapt to a changing climate by building greater resilience In January 2019, all councils in the Georgian Bay Biosphere region were invited to discuss how to address climate change. " At this meeting held at Wahta First Nation, we heard very clearly that climate change work should be coordinated across area councils to maximize efficiencies for energy conservation and demand management,” said Forrest Pengra from the Town of Parry Sound and ICECAP co-chair. “We learned a great deal from the inter-municipal collaboration in southern Georgian Bay coordinated by Sustainable Severn Sound.” ICECAP Signatories In 2019, all area municipal and First Nation councils were invited to join the ICECAP initiative. Signatories to date are: Township of Georgian Bay, Township of the Archipelago, Township of Carling, Town of Parry Sound, Seguin Township, and McKellar Township. ICECAP is unique in several ways: it is one of the first in Ontario to align municipal and Indigenous energy assessment and planning within a harmonized framework that shows communities’ comparable progress. 1 The project requires a regional governance model of appointed elected officials and support from their technical staff to oversee the annual work plans coordinated by GBBR. Member councils divide the project budget proportionally, meaning that it becomes 1 A notable effort is Sustainable Peterborough’s Climate Change Action Plan developed by ten municipalities and two First Nations. See: https://sustainablepeterborough.ca/projects/climate-change-action-plan/