By Jennifer Nantais
The City of Windsor scored high marks after a 2019 questionnaire conducted by CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project), a non-profit charity that releases environmental impacts for corporations, cities and regions. The city received an A grade for adaptation efforts, which respond to the impacts of climate change, and a B for mitigation initiatives, which aim more at prevention than reaction.
A few of the adaptation actions that helped the city obtain this high score include the Urban Heat Island Study, which maps surface temperatures and changes over time, Downspout Disconnection Program, Sewer Master Plan and Riverside Flood Risk Study which seek to address impacts like the three 1 in 100-year storms that recently flooded the area causing an estimated $400 million dollars damage.
The grade came as a surprise to some residents who did not see Windsor as a leader in Climate Change Action. One of the main reasons why the city scores high among municipalities is simply that they have a plan at all. Windsor’s first Climate Change Adaptation Plan was released in 2012 and featured 22 action items to address potential climate change impacts that pose a risk to residents and municipal operations. Windsor was only the second city in Canada to adopt such a plan, and one of only 25% of cities around the globe to have set energy efficiency targets.
The CDP has recommended adaptation and mitigation improvements to the 2012 plan, and an updated 2019 draft has been tabled for public input until January 2020. Comments and questions can be sent to . For information on Environmental Initiatives, phone 311, or 519-253-7111 ext. 3226 for detailed inquiries. Stay tuned for further updates and public engagement opportunities.