FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CALGARY, AB – Not all of the energy saving projects in western Canada’s seven major cities are worth doing, the Canada West Foundation argues in a new report. It recommends a focus on measures that meaningfully reduce energy use, GHG emissions and costs to taxpayers over time.
The report, Walkin’ the Walk: Five Steps toward Efficient Cities, finds that each of those cities are reducing energy use and GHG emissions, but questions why there is not more “cross-pollination between our cities.”
“There are some really smart and innovative things going on in all seven cities,” said Trevor McLeod, director of the Centre for Natural Resources Policy. “A few simple measures would increase the impact of those measures a great deal.”
The report recommends five measures to improve urban energy performance:
1. Find visionary political champions to make energy management a priority
2. Focus a community energy manager on concrete returns
3. Engage citizens and businesses to move public opinion
4. Expand the reach of self-funding initiatives, such as LED street lights
5. Improve measurement and reporting to assist in setting future priorities
The report finds citizen complacency understandable at a time when energy is cheap and abundant and the upfront capital costs associated with improving energy efficiency are high. Citizens should step up, however, and not be over-reliant on governments to devise solutions.
Provincial governments can also assist by enhancing the powers of cities. Vancouver pushed ahead with projects with the help of a civic charter; Calgary and Edmonton are seeking similar authority from the Alberta government.