On May 16th Winnipeg’s Executive Policy Committee made an amendment to include looking at the exisitng plans for them to connect with the budget priorities and specifically named the Community Energy Investment Roadmap specifically.

This is a win!! 

Stay tuned for more once that information comes out….

BACKGROUND

Implementing the Community Energy Investment Roadmap (CEIR) presents an extraordinary economic opportunity. By embracing its recommendations, Winnipeg can reach the net zero target by 2050, thereby avoiding approximately $53.7 billion in future carbon and maintenance costs. Additionally, it will save citizens money through reduced household energy expenses while generating $5 billion in revenue from renewable energy production. This investment promises a two-fold return, continually accumulating value beyond 2050, and benefiting our economy, environment, and overall well-being.

On April 18, the City of Winnipeg released the draft Strategic Priorities Action Plan (SPAP), which outlines 41 essential priorities that will shape the city’s budget for the next four years. However, meaningful GHG reductions are absent from this list and there is no mention of CEIR.

The Executive Policy Committee will review the SPAP on May 16. If approved, it will proceed to City Council on May 30. Failure to include a commitment to implement the CEIR’s recommendations would mean waiting another four years to make progress. By then, costs will have increased, and Winnipeg will be forced to expedite efforts to meet crucial deadlines. Moreover, this delay will bring us dangerously close to 2030, only three years away from the IPCC’s target of halving global emissions.

Key insights of the CEIR include:

• The imperative for the city to incorporate climate change considerations into all future decision-making processes.
• The necessity of transitioning to electric transportation and heating systems to achieve net zero.
• An annual investment of $800 million until 2050 would result in savings of $57 billion and generate $5 billion in revenue, proving that climate action is a wise investment.
• The creation of 103,000 person-years of employment opportunities, fostering the growth of new jobs.
• Climate strategies that address the dimensions of physical, social, and economic equity.

We cannot afford to wait another four years before taking action and hopefully after our campaign asking them to include CEIR is helping them understand that.

For more information about the CEIR Report, please click here. You can download the full report here. If you have any questions, the FAQ section may provide helpful insights.