Burlington, Ontario's Climate Action Plan

(photo of Spencer Smith Park in Burlington, ON by Andrew Lynes)

Not even a pandemic can stop Burlington, Ontario’s ambition of transforming itself into a net carbon neutral community by 2050. On April 20, 2020, in the midst of the nation-wide lock down, Burlington City Council approved a sweeping Climate Action Plan. The Plan lays out a comprehensive framework for major reductions in energy consumption, improvements in energy efficiency and switching to low or zero carbon energy sources, with a major emphasis on solar.

As the pandemic restrictions begin to lift, Provincial and federal governments are strategizing on how to jumpstart the economy. Will economic stimulus efforts be framed around climate change action? If so, the post-pandemic recovery period could help Burlington achieve its net carbon neutrality goals. The City of Burlington supports a green recovery and says, “the time has come for us to think transformational and not business as usual.”

The Plan advocates that all new buildings will be purposely designed for low carbon consumption and existing buildings will undergo deep energy retrofits. It’s a building by building strategy that will help Burlington re-invent itself as a truly post-petroleum community.

More information about Burlington’s Climate Action Plan can be found on the Take Action Burlington blog, an initiative of the City of Burlington: https://takeactionburlington.ca/2020/04/21/burlingtons-climate-action-plan-approved-by-city-council/