Edmonton declared a climate emergency in 2019. So what's been done about it?

CBC Edmonton is exploring the issues that matter most to Edmontonians in the months leading up to October's municipal election. Read other stories published so far in this series:

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• Homelessness: 'They need to look at us, not just see us'
• Transportation: Where roads, bike lanes and public transit meet
• Leadership: Who will fill the shoes of outgoing Mayor Don Iveson?K
• In search of a city council that's willing to disrupt systemic discrimination in Edmonton
• Edmontonians want to attract and keep young talent, and tech innovation may be doing just that

Two years ago, during a summer marked by wildfire smoke and marches for climate change awareness, Edmonton city council declared a climate emergency and embarked on an ambitious mission to reduce the city's carbon emissions.

While some welcomed the declaration as a sign of leadership to act on a growing global movement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, others wondered if it was just for show.

Revising the existing energy transition strategy, approved in 2015, was a move to counter the naysayers.

City administrators were directed to devise a strategy that would align with the city's goals to reduce emissions by 35 per cent by 2025, 50 per cent by 2030, and be a carbon neutral community by 2050.

"The declaration of climate emergency has already changed things," says outgoing Coun. Ben Henderson. 

"It really underlined for the people that we're going to have to turn this into action, how important it was, and that council felt that it was important."

But how much has actually changed since then? 

CBC News analyzed the eight recommendations made on Aug. 27, 2019, when Edmonton declared a climate emergency. As of Aug. 11, progress has been made toward all of the calls to action. 

But the outcome of this fall's municipal election could unravel some plans, and critics say the city still hasn't accomplished nearly enough.

Building retrofits

Shafraaz Kaba is among those worrying whether the city is doing enough. As co-chair of the city's Energy Transition Climate Resilience Committee, he takes hope in newly completed Community Energy Transition Strategy and Action Plan. 

The 58-page document, approved by council in April, includes several pathways to reach carbon emission goals, at a cost of about $24 billion in public and private money over 10 years.

Much of that will go toward retrofitting municipal buildings. According to a sustainability policy enacted in June, city buildings must be carbon neutral by 2040. 

"It's not a cheap endeavour," says Meghan Harris-Ngae, a climate expert with Ernst & Young, a professional services company.

"It's going to be quite costly and it's going to take time. And so those are the types of things that, when you're looking at progress against commitments, you're looking overall at a five-year period. How much spend is going to be put toward retrofitting infrastructure?"

Energy incentive programs, which help property owners finance upgrades to ventilation, heating, cooling systems, windows and insulation, pay off both in cost savings and reduced emissions, Kaba says.

In a recent municipal poll commissioned by CBC Edmonton, respondents rated updating city facilities and operations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as an average of 6.7 out of 10.

About 60 per cent gave the priority a high score of seven to 10, and 28 per cent gave it a moderate score of four to six. Only 11 per cent gave it a low score of zero to three.

CBC Edmonton poll results

Bikes, transit and waste disposal

Transportation is responsible for 30 per cent of Edmonton's greenhouse gas emissions. Bike lanes have been expanded and improved, says Barbara Daly, the city's senior project manager with environmental strategies.

"They just added an element of safety that makes me not even hesitate to hop on my bike instead of climbing in my car," Daly said.

"And once drivers are familiar with where they are and which spots to avoid, which left turns don't work very well, there's some harmony, I think, that's emerging for the bikes."

Work to expand Edmonton's transit system with LRT construction is ongoing.

And in the past two years, the city has begun implementing its waste strategy, including a new program where single-unit households separate food scraps from other waste.

Part of the city's transition strategy includes a plan to create a multi-million dollar renewable energy facility to offset the city's greenhouse gas emissions from electricity use. The plan suggests the facility will be operating by 2024.

Programs such as the solar rebate were in existence before the declaration. When it came to renewing funding, the council declaration meant it was all systems go, Daly says. 

Empowering all people

Empower Me designs energy efficiency and education programs for members of marginalized communities, filling a gap for immigrants and newcomers who have not historically taken advantage of programs, says co-founder Yasmine Abraham.

"Under-prioritized and under-represented groups are most adversely affected by the effects of climate change," Abraham said. 

"If you don't speak English or you don't read English very well, if you're not comfortable online, if you're not comfortable picking up the phone and calling your utility provider, you don't know what a rebate is."

Since August 2019, the city has worked with Empower Me to help over 500 Edmonton-area immigrants take advantage of these types of programs, Abraham says. 

Far enough, fast enough?

As part of the city's energy transition strategy, administration will begin reporting annually on its implementation. The first update is in the second quarter of 2022. 

One thing that gives Kaba hope is the city's implementation of carbon accounting. 

Carbon budgeting of projects and programs will provide the financial cost of carbon emissions, as well as limits the city faces to keep emissions on track with its goals, especially as the city's population grows.

"We haven't gotten the first carbon budget yet, so it is a little too soon," Kaba says. "But we know we haven't done enough. To be honest, every single sector in our city has to, frankly, do a heck of a lot more in order to mitigate significant climate impacts."

Ngae expects that other cities will follow Edmonton's lead in declaring a climate emergency.

"I don't think that we're going to end it until we actually see progress," Ngae says.

"The reality is that things could get worse before they get better and so I think it could be 2030 or after until we actually see cities actually say that they're putting an end to the climate emergency."