Climate Action Progress Report measures City’s progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions

A report headed to the Standing Policy Committee on Environment, Utilities and Corporate Services will outline the advances the City has made toward greater sustainability and lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Climate Action Plan: Progress Report 2020 (2020 Progress Report) will be presented to the committee on April 6, 2021. It is a culmination of progress that has been made on the Climate Action Plan, which includes The Low Emissions Community Plan and the Corporate Climate Adaptation Strategy. 

“This report summarizes Saskatoon’s GHG emissions from 2019 and tracks the progress of the LEC and Adaptation actions that started in 2020,” says Jeanna South, Director of Sustainability. “While it’s too early to see significant greenhouse gas reductions, it’s important to stress that these first steps, including strategies, feasibility studies, and pilots, lay the groundwork to increase future emissions savings.” 

According to the report, emissions belonging to the City have increased, while Saskatoon’s overall community emissions have decreased. The LEC Plan is a 30-year roadmap with 40 actions and was received by Council in late 2019. The 2020 Progress Report finds that some actions have progressed as scheduled, while others are not yet meeting the pace set in the plan.   

Angela Gardiner, General Manager of Utilities & Environment, says it will take a bit of time before more benefits are noticeable. “While we have a number of initiatives under way or in early development, the results won't be seen until they are fully implemented.  For example, Saskatoon Light & Power is replacing streetlight fixtures with LED technology. To date the project has realized savings of 179 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions with estimated savings of 5,500 tonnes annually once all 17,000 fixtures have been replaced.”