CDEM encourages, stimulates and organizes economic development in Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities. We are actively involved in tourism, rural development and small business support, the green economy, and engaging young people in economic development.

CDEM successfully coordinates major sustainable economic development projects such as the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in our communities.

REDUCE YOUR EMISSIONS AND COSTS

CDEM can help you:Identify sources of energy waste and inefficiencies in your cost-cutting measures. Measure the results of your GHG reduction initiatives more accurately. Be recognized as an environmental protection leader. Increase stakeholder awareness of their commitment.Access financial support for your green projects from the various levels of governments and independent funders.Develop your local economy to be ecological and sustainable.

PROCESS

1. CDEM will work with your staff to identify the best methods for collecting GHG emission sources in your municipality.

2. CDEM will help your staff with this collection and ensuring reliable results.3. CDEM will quantify your GHG emissions using the data obtained. 4. CDEM will prepare a report on your GHG emissions inventory. This will help you identify GHG reduction

projects that are easy to implement and which you can confidently share with residents, funders and other community stakeholders.

REDUCING GREENHOUSE GASES

The term ‘Green Economy’ refers to all of the economic activities that contribute to environmental protection and sustainable economic development.

The new green economy advocated by CDEM is aimed at promoting an enhanced quality of life for Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities.

CDEM AND PCP – PARTNERS FOR CLIMATE PROTECTION

CDEM is actively involved in the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program, a network of municipal governments that have committed to reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) and acting on climate change.

PCP uses a five-milestone framework to help municipalities reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Milestone 1: Create a GHG emissions inventory Milestone 2: Set a GHG emissions reduction target Milestone 3: Develop an emissions reduction action plan Milestone 4: Implement an Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP) Milestone 5: Monitor progress and report results

The CDEM team has expertise in ‘green project’ implementation in areas such as the collection and analysis of GHG emissions data. CDEM’s GHG inventories and development plans are recognized by governments and major funders alike.

CDEM can help you with your inventory and development plan. Here is what you need to do to get the process started:

Pass a resolution to enrol your municipality in PCP.Pass a resolution confirming your financial contribution.Sign an MOU with CDEM to undertake the first three PCP milestones.

CDEM: GREEN ECONOMY

WHAT IS AN INVENTORY?

An inventory brings together data on energy use, transportation and solid waste generation in a municipality over a one-year period.

WHAT EMISSIONS ARE TRACKED?

The inventory tracks three principal greenhouse gases from combustible fossil fuels and decomposing organic waste in landfills:

Carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4), expressed as a CO2 equivalent (eCO2)

INVENTORY COMPONENTS

A corporate inventory includes municipal government facilities and operations, the municipal fleet and corporate solid waste.

A community inventory includes the residential, commercial, industrial, transportation and solid waste sectors.

CDEM CAN HELP YOU CREATE AN INVENTORY

ACTION REQUIRED

Provide CDEM with a copy of the resolution passed by the municipal council, including the date of endorsement.Allow CDEM access to municipal accounts so that it can obtain data on streetlights and traffic light energy consumption.*Allow CDEM access to data on water/wastewater facilities and equipment.*Provide a complete list of all vehicles and heavy equipment used by the municipality, including fuel consumption and mileage for each vehicle/piece of equipment. Prepare a separate statement for all of the waste and recycling generated by the municipality.Provide the weight of all of the waste and recycling sent to the landfills or transfer stations.

*These data are typically provided by Hydro. A letter must therefore be prepared (CDEM will provide a sample) requesting that Manitoba Hydro give CDEM access to the municipality’s accounts.

CREATE A GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS INVENTORY

PCP: MILESTONE 1

Once the inventory is completed, you are ready to go on to Milestone 2 of setting an emissions reduction target for your region.

WHAT EMISSIONS REDUCTION TARGETS SHOULD WE USE?

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) recommends the following targets:

A 20 per cent reduction below baseline year GHG emissions for municipal operations within 10 years.

A six per cent reduction below baseline year GHG emissions for the community within 10 years.

ACTION REQUIRED

Choose reduction targets for municipal and community operations.

Have the municipal council adopt the target and the timeline for achieving it and submit this information to FCM for recognition purposes.

SET AN EMISSIONS REDUCTION TARGET

PCP: MILESTONE 2

PCP: MILESTONE 2

The Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP) is a strategic document that outlines how your municipality will achieve its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction target.

KEY ICSP COMPONENTS

Public and stakeholder input.Baseline GHG emissions inventory (Milestone 1) and the emissions reduction targets (Milestone 2).Existing and proposed or new GHG emissions reduction measures.Your project’s implementation strategies, cost considerations, stakeholder responsibilities, timelines and sources of funding.

ACTION REQUIRED

Manage the municipal administration consultation process and take part in developing consultations with the public and key stakeholders in your community.Set up a steering committee to identify green projects for reducing GHG emissions from municipal operations.Set up a second steering committee to identify green projects for reducing community GHG emissions (residential, commercial and industrial sectors).Organize a town hall meeting for presenting the measures proposed by the two steering committees.Submit a copy of the ICSP endorsed by your municipal council to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).

DEVELOP A GHG EMISSIONS REDUCTION ACTION PLAN

PCP: MILESTONE 3

ACTION REQUIRED

Assign one staff person to act as your main liaison with FCM.

Communicate PCP and ICSP objectives internally and externally, particularly to the municipal council.

Obtain adequate resources (establish the budget and identify the funding/staff and outside assistance required).

For budgeting purposes, the following questions should be answered:Which measures can be incorporated into existing projects or expenditures? Which measures will require new expenditures? What is the payback period? (Paybacks of five to seven years generate deeper reductions). What are the potential savings over the lifetime of the improvement? Is funding available in the existing municipal budget? What alternative funding resources exist? What are the project’s life cycle costs?

Prepare an implementation schedule that meets the emissions reduction goal and integrate the schedule with existing processes and responsibilities.

Consider establishing a community task force to ensure stakeholder engagement.

Recruit volunteers to assist with implementation and promotion of the plan to the public.

IMPLEMENT AN ICSP

PCP: MILESTONE 4

PCP: MILESTONE 4

ACTION REQUIRED

Quantify the reduction in energy consumed or waste generated and calculate the quantity of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that was avoided.

Update the inventory every three to five years to enable you to account for outside factors contributing to your emissions profile, such as growth, economic development, legislation and behaviour change.

Report to stakeholders and to FCM to provide them with the results of the processes to which they contributed. The quantifiable results can be included in existing reports produced by your municipal government.

JUST THE BEGINNING…

Reaching Milestone 5 is a significant achievement, but it does not signal the end of your community’s emissions reduction efforts. A local action plan is a living document that is revised as information, ideas and circumstances evolve.

MONITOR PROGRESS AND REPORT RESULTS

PCP: MILESTONE 5

Providence University College: $500,000

The Providence College and Seminary campus, located in Otterburne, has a biomass heating unit that reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by nearly 200 tonnes a year.

The biomass project is part of Manitoba’s Community Led Emissions Reduction (CLER) program in partnership with the Municipality and CDEM.

Centre TransCanada Centre – Île-des-Chênes: $6.5 million

Île-des-Chênes, in the Rural Municipality of Ritchot, has a Silver LEED certified geothermal heating plant that serves the arena as well as the town’s fire hall and new community centre.

Ritchot is a member of Partners for Climate Protection (PCP). CDEM assisted the RM in completing the first milestone of its project by collecting its GHG emissions data and helping it prepare a funding proposal submitted to the FCM’s Green Municipal Fund.

Compo-Stages Manitoba: $1 million+

The RMs of Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, St. Pierre-Jolys and De Salaberry launched this co-op to offer a service for composting municipal and agricultural waste.

Much of the $305,000 in funding received by the three municipalities for their initiative from Environment Canada, CLER and WRAPP (Waste Reduction and Pollution Prevention), was used to purchase a windrow turner that grinds up organic waste to make compost.

SUCCESSFUL GREEN PROJECTS IN MANITOBA’SBILINGUAL MUNICIPALITIES

SUCCESSFUL GREEN PROJECTS IN MANITOBA’S BILINGUAL MUNICIPALITIES