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Climate change is a global issue that starts with local action. Canada's climate is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world according to Environment Canada. National climate trends show a steady rise in seasonal and annual temperatures, with more intense precipitation events throughout the year. Changes in Orillia include stronger wind storms, more frequent heavy rain events and warmer winters, which are affecting the community in various ways.
Orillia's Climate Future encompasses all the actions and planning that the City of Orillia is undertaking to reduce our environmental impact and strengthen the community's resilience to the effects of climate change.
The City is committed to taking action to combat climate change through greenhouse gas reductions and through adapting our natural, built and social systems to these new conditions. New projects at the City include the Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) and the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, as well as investments in electric vehicle charging stations and LED lighting upgrades. Established programs include waste diversion, solar energy and promoting local sustainable businesses.
Learn more from the webpages below about how Orillia is combating climate change by making our homes, offices, roads and green spaces more sustainable.
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What is Climate Change?
According to Environment Canada, climate change is a long-term shift over several years in regional or global weather conditions identified by changes in temperature, precipitation, winds, and other indicators. Climate change involves changes in average conditions and more frequent and intense extreme weather events.
Factors that cause climate change can be divided into two categories - those related to natural processes and those related to human activity. Human contributions to climate change are due to the release of greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide, into the Earth’s atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels for transportation, heating and industrial activities.
Below you can find answers to common questions about climate change as well as key definitions of climate change action terms.
| What are Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) and why are they sometimes called "Carbon Emissions"? |
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Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are gases that trap heat close to Earth's surface through the greenhouse effect. Small changes in the atmospheric levels of these gases lead to significant changes in Earth’s temperature and climate. The major greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), which are released through human activity such as burning fossil fuels for heating or transportation. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most common greenhouse gas emitted by human activity. It makes up the largest quantity of GHGs and has the single largest impact on global warming. The terms “CO2” or “carbon emissions” are commonly used as shorthand expressions for all GHGs. However, the more accurate term is carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). |
| What do Adaptation and Resilience mean in relation to Climate Change? |
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Adaptation refers to initiatives or actions that respond to actual or predicted climate change impacts. These actions will reduce the effects of climate change on built, natural and social systems. For example, preventing road and basement flooding during heavy storm events, or preparing cooling centres for extreme heat days. Adaptation will be through built and natural infrastructure, preparing plans, and supporting vulnerable populations to lower the risks to communities from climate-related hazards and disasters. Resilience is the ability to respond to or recover readily from a crisis or challenge. The City is currently preparing its strategy to be resilient in facing the crucial challenge of our climate future. To learn more about the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, visit the webpage here. |
| Definitions |
| Business as Usual (BAU) Scenario: A reference scenario of the future emissions and climate impacts of activities (City or community) based on assumptions of current energy usage and municipal, provincial, and federal policies extending to a future year. This scenario provides a baseline of outcomes should no climate actions be taken.
Carbon Budget: A carbon budget is the maximum amount of greenhouse gases that can be emitted world-wide without increasing the global average temperature more than 1.5° Celsius. In the context of the City’s reduction targets, the City would utilize a carbon budget model to assign the maximum GHG emissions that can be emitted each year (or other cycle) in order to reach the reduction target of 1/3 of emissions reduced in the community by 2030 over 2018 levels and Net Zero emissions by 2050. Decarbonize: Decarbonization refers to reducing the level of greenhouse gas emissions produced by a multitude of sources, including heating, cooling, transportation and manufacturing. Evidence-Based Target: A GHG reduction target that is designed to decarbonize as quickly as possible while taking into consideration the realities of the resources, operations, and technology available. It considers the most realistic implementation from the bottom up. IPCC: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations' body for assessing the science related to human-induced climate change. The panel is comprised of thousands of scientists who review and compile scientific findings into “Assessment Reports” for policymakers and the general public. Net Zero: Net Zero emissions refers to releasing either no greenhouse gas emissions or absorbing (offsetting) emissions such that the resulting effect is no further GHGs are released into the atmosphere which reduces the climate change pressure on future generations. Emissions may be offset through actions such as tree planting or using technologies that capture carbon before it can be released into the air. Net Zero emissions is a key concept in preventing extreme impacts and damages from climate change. |
Climate Actions
Learn about some of the climate actions that the City of Orillia has taken in the community:
