Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Plan

The City of Sault Ste. Marie was one of over 60 communities across Canada to receive funding from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) through the Municipal Climate Innovation Program (MCIP). The goal of this initiative was to increase staff capacity with regards to climate mitigation and/or adaption.

The City has focussed its efforts on mitigation by developing a plan to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Sault Ste. Marie. In September 2019, the City signed a resolution to join the Partners for Climate Protection program (PCP), which offers a five-milestone framework intended to guide Municipalities towards the development of a climate action plan. The five milestones are:
  1. Creating a baseline emissions inventory and forecast
  2. Setting emissions reduction targets
  3. Developing a local action plan
  4. Implementing the local action plan
  5. Monitoring progress and reporting results
The Sault Ste. Marie GHG Reduction Plan (the plan) builds on and provides direction for existing City policies and plans that consider environmental sustainability. It also recognizes the shared responsibility for making emissions reductions by both corporate and community operations. The plan reinforces the need for an integrated sustainability agenda that addresses long term economic, social and environmental priorities, as part of building a healthier and more climate change resilient community. 
The GHG Reduction Plan development used a three-stage approach, including: 
The Community GHG Reduction Plan and Council Presentation are available online and were unanimously approved by City Council on December 14, 2020.

Plan Vision
The City of Sault Ste. Marie will reduce GHG emissions from the energy and building, transportation, and waste sectors, and pursue green space, municipal leadership and economic development opportunities. The City will work in partnership with residents, businesses, industry, non-profit organizations, and other community to achieve emissions reduction in Sault Ste. Marie.
 
Plan Overview
 
The plan recommends 60 actions (14 of which are already in progress), and is broken down into seven key sectors, predominantly based on emission sources and reduction action opportunities. Actions are based on both community and corporate efforts. The sectors are as follows:
  1. Buildings & Energy – Community
  2. Buildings & Energy – Corporate
  3. Transportation
  4. Waste
  5. Green Space
  6. Economic Development
  7. Municipal Leadership
GHG Emissions Target
The City’s goal for GHG reduction is net zero by 2050. The City will take a staged approach to achieve this goal, and will focus on a GHG reduction target of 10% corporate and 5% community between 2020–2030, with an increasing scale of reduction target between 2030 and 2050.

Next Steps
The City is now working on completing Milestones 4 and 5 of the PCP program, with a specific focus on implementation and monitoring project results. The newly established Environmental Sustainability Committee, will oversee the review and implementation of the GHG Reduction Plan.

The plan should be viewed as a living document and it is recommended that it, as well as the targets be revised regularly to acknowledge changing technology, funding and provincial and federal legislative initiatives.

Corporate Emissions Inventory Updates

Phone
705-759-2500

Email
info@cityssm.on.ca

Fax
705-759-2310

TTY
1-877-688-5528

Location
99 Foster Drive
Sault Ste. Marie, ON
P6A 5X6