GBA 2021 - Summer Update

10 www.georgianbay.ca GBA UPDATE Summer 2021 T he Georgian Bay Biosphere (GBB) recently finished calculating the total baseline greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the GBB region, and it turns out our emissions are higher than you might think. The annual average CO 2 emissions in our area is 20 tonnes per person, which is higher than either the Canadian average (16 tonnes per person), or the Ontario average (11 tonnes). 1 This calculation was completed as the first milestone of the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program, where Canadian municipalities are encouraged to assess their GHG emissions, set emission targets, and implement plans to reduce their emissions. In the GBB region, the Integrated Community Energy and Climate Action Plans (ICECAP) partnership brings together our local municipalities, First Nations, and Métis communities to work together to address climate change through the PCP and the Indigenous Community Energy Plan (IECP). GBB and ICECAP members (including the Townships of the Archipelago, Carling, Georgian Bay, McKellar, Seguin, and the Town of Parry Sound 2 ) worked together to calculate the total GHG emissions for the area as a first step towards reducing that number. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, to mitigate climate change and its effects, “the global net human- caused emissions of CO 2 need to fall 45 per cent from 2010 levels by 2030, and reach ‘net zero’ emissions by 2050.” Knowing where we currently stand will help us determine how far we have to go to reach net zero and how we can get there. As part of milestone one, GBB staff also developed a business-as-usual emissions forecast, which revealed that if nothing changes, emissions over the next 10 years would increase an average of 12 per cent by 2030. These results, which were prepared using the best available data and vetted by the PCP office, were provided to participating councils in December 2020. Challenges in Calculations As we anticipated early on, calculating GHG emissions for the GBB region presented unique challenges, particularly related to our use of boats and other watercraft. Because standard tools don’t exist to calculate the impact of waterborne transportation, we had to adapt the tool used for on-road transportation of gasoline and diesel vehicles. We did this by estimating the average number of waterborne vehicles for both year-round and seasonal residences. Then we estimated the average fuel efficiency based on average horsepower of engine, multiplied by the average annual operating hours. Supporting data for the calculations Supporting Climate Action in Our Communities By Becky Pollock, Executive Director, and David Bywater, Conservation Manager, Georgian Bay Biosphere Regional baseline of community CO 2 emissions by source (GBB, 2020) 1 Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, 2019. “Climate Pollution: Reducing My Footprint” 2 The Township of Georgian Bay completed Milestone 3 of the Partners for Climate Protection Program in 2018 with the support of Sustainable Severn Sound. GEORGIAN BAY BIOSPHERE RESERVE Milestone 1 plaque held by Carling Councillor Terry Gilbert.