Oakville joins Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy ‘Showcase Cities’ pilot in Canada

Oakville was selected to join the first Showcase Cities cohort led by the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) Canada. Over the next year, the town will receive intensive support to help reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to climate change.

Municipalities are on the front lines of climate change, and through this pilot project which includes technical support, training, exclusive networking opportunities and access to tools and resources, Oakville will advance their ambitious climate action objectives.

“Town Council is pleased to be selected for this pilot project as we’ve been on the front lines of climate change in our community for years in an effort to build a more livable Oakville. We’re constantly finding ways to be more energy efficient, reduce energy costs and be more resilient to climate change,” said Oakville Mayor Rob Burton.

Municipalities are leading the way on low-carbon solutions — from building retrofits to green transit fleets. And with municipalities influencing half of Canada’s GHG emissions, scaling up local solutions is key to meeting Canada’s climate targets.

The town has partnered with Sheridan College and the Oakville Energy Task Force to develop a Community Energy Plan for Oakville. The CEP, expected to be complete in early 2020, will provide a roadmap for the community to work together in achieving ambitious GHG, energy and economic goals. The Showcase Cities initiative will help support the launch and implementation of the CEP, and help guide the town’s Climate Change Strategy update to better respond to extreme weather impacts such as from flooding and high winds.

The Global Covenant of Mayors Canada is a collaboration between Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, the Global Covenant of Mayors Secretariat and the International Urban Cooperation Project supported by funding from the European Union.

“Together we are creating ambitious plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and preparing our communities for the impacts of a changing climate,” said Megan Meaney, Executive Director of the Canada office of ICLEI.

The initiative combines two leading domestic climate programs, the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program and Building Adaptive and Resilient Communities (BARC), with the leading global climate program. The GCoM Canada is piloting this approach, which will build on FCM and ICLEI’s more than 25 years’ experience in delivering climate change programs in Canada. 

Town staff will be reporting on details of the initiative to Council on November 18.