Climate

A wave crashing against rocks in the foreground and the Collingwood Grain Terminals in the distance.

Greener Collingwood Corporate Climate Change Action Plan

The Town of Collingwood recognizes that it plays a role in maintaining a healthy environment and a sustainable future. Collingwood Council unanimously declared a Climate Crisis in October 2019 to demonstrate the Town’s commitment to protecting the community, economy, and ecosystems from the effects of climate change. 

Climatic changes can result in a variety of unintended consequences based on location. In Collingwood, risks could include, but are not limited to, human health concerns, social equity risks, biodiversity loss, increased presence of invasive species, reduced water quality, increased natural disasters, economic challenges, and infrastructure damage. 

In response to Collingwood’s Climate Crisis declaration, the Town joined The Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program, which outlines a five milestone framework to guide municipalities through acknowledging and reducing emissions produced from corporate operations and community sources.

To date, the Town of Collingwood has achieved recognition for Corporate and Community Milestone 1.

  • Corporate Milestone 1 illustrated that in 2019, the Town of Collingwood produced approximately 3,370 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) from corporate operations.
  • Community Milestone 1 illustrated that in 2019 community emissions were estimated to be 207,218 tCO2e.

The Greener Collingwood Corporate Climate Change Action Plan serves as the framework for the Town to follow to reduce corporate greenhouse gas emissions and will be submitted to PCP program administrators to satisfy the requirements of Corporate Milestones 2 and 3. 

The Greener Collingwood Corporate Climate Change Action Plan aims to achieve the following 3 goals to address the Town’s corporate responsibility and dedication to mitigating climate change:

  • Integrate climate change and sustainability into the Town of Collingwood's corporate culture,
  • reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a minimum of 30% below 2019 levels by 2030, and 
  • become a corporate and municipal leader in sustainability initiatives and greenhouse gas reduction measures in the region.

The Corporate Climate Action Plan is divided into 5 categories with 19 actions to help integrate climate change considerations into decision-making.

Five icons action plan categories: Buildings & Facilities, Transportation & Fleet, Solid Waste, Environment & Biodiversity, Behaviour & Climate Change

As part of the Town’s commitment to combat climate change, a Community Climate Action Plan will also be created through a collaborative approach with key stakeholders and residents. 

Read the full: Greener Collingwood Corporate Climate Change Action Plan

Engage with us: Engage Collingwood page coming soon

Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) Program

The Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) Program is a national network of over 500 municipalities with the shared goal of acting against climate change and reducing local greenhouse gas (GHH) emissions. The PCP program provides a five-milestone framework, to guide municipalities through the creation, implementation, and monitoring of local climate action to acheive corporate and community GHG reduction targets.

Five Partners for Climate Protection milestones, 1 creating and inventory, 2 setting a target, 3 developing a plan, 4 implementing a plan, 5 monitoring the impact

Tree Canopy and Urban Forest

The Town of Collingwood values the urban forest and its contribution to the liveability of our community. In addition to the environmental, social, aesthetic and economic benefits of the urban forest, the Town recognizes the importance trees have on health, quality of life, tourism, recreation and green infrastructure. The Town is committed to sustainable management of the urban forest as well as supporting community action and stewardship to maintain, renew and enhance this natural resource for future generations.

Enhanced Urban Stream Health Monitoring in partnership with the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority

Collingwood is traversed by four major watercourses - Silver Creek, Black Ash Creek, Pretty River, and Batteaux River. These beautiful and valuable natural resources provide recreation for local residents and provides habitat for wildlife. Healthy rivers keep our harbour clean, helps build local economies and helps boost tourism in Collingwood. Our rivers are also essential green infrastructure for containing rain and snowmelt, diluting sewage effluent, and they also offer flood protection to the urban areas of our town.

Learn more about Collingwood Stream Health.

Energy Conservation

The Broader Public Sector (BPS) plays an important role in helping Ontario meet its conservation targets and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Under Ontario Regulation 507/18 (Broader Public Sector: Energy Reporting and Conservation and Demand Management Plans), made under the Electricity Act (1998), BPS organizations are required to:

  1. Report annually to the Ministry of Energy, on their energy use and greenhouse gas emissions and publish the reports on their websites;
  2. Develop a five-year conservation and demand management plan and publish the plan on their websites.

Corporate Initiatives

The Town of Collingwood recognizes many internal corporate efforts toward environmental sustainability and is taking action on new corporate initiatives like recycling, composting, and reducing single use plastics. To leverage these efforts and encourage expansion of actions and understanding, an internal corproate "Greener Collingwood" group has been formed to implement consistent and sustainable practices across the corporation.

Community Action