Peterborough declares climate emergency – will Belleville follow?
BELLEVILLE – Peterborough city council unanimously declared a climate-change emergency last week, and Kingston and Ottawa have done the same. Will Belleville follow suit?
Peterborough council had planned to hold the vote in March 2020, but moved it up to last Monday – the week when climate change marches were taking around the world.
According to its Climate Change Action Plan, Peterborough hopes to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent for 2031, from 349,743 tonnes to 244,820 tonnes. Among its tactics to achieve this target is changing its streetlights to more efficient light-emitting diode bulbs, which annually will save the same amount of energy it would take to power 858 homes. It is also offering a $50 rebate program on low-flow toilets.
By declaring a climate change emergency, Peterborough says, it is “protecting our community, its economy, and its ecosystems from climate change.”
In Belleville a climate strike was held on Friday, Sept. 19, in Market Square. But so far the city has not said anything about declaring a climate-change emergency here.
QNet News is contacting Sarah Tummon-Button of the Belleville mayor’s office to learn more.
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