HaltonHillsToday received this Letter to the Editor from Halton Hills Climate Action, which wrote the following to the mayor and members of council:
In 2019 before a packed chamber, Halton Hills Council declared a climate emergency and launched an ambitious goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030. This won national attention and inspired other municipalities to do likewise. In December 2023, you rejected a fossil-fuel gas plant expansion here - a decision we believe was wise.
This month, the World Meteorological Organization and other climate tracking agencies reported that in 2024 the world surpassed the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit set at the 2015 Paris climate accord. Alarm bells are ringing as we face emergencies far beyond just temperature.
How is Halton Hills affected? In years to come we face more extreme weather than ever before, the loss of biodiversity, financial risks as insurance becomes increasingly expensive or even unavailable, and pressure to take migrants from areas that become unlivable. Our remaining farmland and forests will become more precious than ever. Low-energy, well planned housing developments will be vital, as will climate adaptation and mitigation measures to protect our public infrastructure investments.
The political scene in North America frightens us, with Mr. Trump and Mr. Poilievre embracing continued, even increased use of fossil fuels. Meanwhile energy demand skyrockets due to digital initiatives such as artificial intelligence. Who will be left to work for reductions in greenhouse gases?
Ontario, at least, has just announced rebates for energy-efficient home retrofits including heat pumps, solar panels, and insulation. These reduce both demand and emissions, and make energy conservation and generation more affordable right away. We applaud and hope the Town will promote these retrofits.
As our closest-to-home elected representatives, we encourage you and depend on you to apply a climate lens to every decision you make at council, and to uphold the goal of net-zero by 2030.
One way to do this would be to apply the Alliance for a Liveable Ontario’s 'Five ways home' solution for building better, smarter housing in new and infill developments here. Their five one-minute videos and full report make the case that we can tackle both housing affordability and the climate crisis with the same measures. They are worth your attention
Halton Hills Climate Action has 420 newsletter subscribers and has hosted more than 30 rallies and events attended by many hundreds of people in the last five years. One of our teams has been meeting with Town staff to discuss net-zero goals and development. We would be glad to further promote and help the Town achieve its climate goals.
For our children and grandchildren and for all those who will live here in the future, can we depend on you to keep local climate initiatives top of mind?
Respectfully
Janet Duval, Communications Officer
Halton Hills Climate Action