A report submitted to Windsor councilors found the company's natural gas consumption, wastewater treatment plant emissions and overall corporate emissions are “moving in the opposite direction” to the city's climate goals. It is shown that.
The City of Windsor's first ROSE report (short for “Report On the State of Our Environment”) was completed in 2008 and is targeted to be published every five years as part of the City's Environmental Master Plan.
The 2023 ROSE report will be presented to Windsor City Council on April 22nd.
“Many of the environmental indicators are progressing towards their desired goals. Of the indicators that received negative results, many did not move away from their goals and did not change,” the report reads in part. ing.
“However, three metrics are moving in the opposite direction of our goals: corporate natural gas consumption, wastewater treatment plant natural gas consumption, and corporate emissions.”
According to the 2023 ROSE report, city buildings use approximately half of a company's energy use, with heating and cooling demands being the largest source of energy consumption.
According to the report, natural gas consumption “significantly increased” from 2017 to 2019 at combined heat and power (CHP) facilities at WFCU Center, Huron Lodge, and Windsor International Aquatic and Training Center. It is said that there was a correlation with the introduction of the device.
The amount of energy used by city buildings in the process of treating sewage and wastewater is also increasing.
The report added that the City of Windsor acquired a “biosolids pelleting facility” in 2019, resulting in an increase in the company's natural gas consumption for the drying process.
High water levels in the Great Lakes from 2019 to 2020 also increased wastewater volumes “due to higher groundwater levels and infiltration into the system.”
While greenhouse gas emissions from local communities are on the decline, data from the 2023 ROSE report shows that corporate greenhouse gas emissions have been slowly increasing in recent years.
Wastewater emissions increased by approximately 2,500 eCO2 tons in 2018 and will reach approximately 8,500 eCO2 tons in 2022.
As another example, municipal vehicles accounted for 8,500 tonnes of eCO2 in 2020. After four years, they accounted for approximately 12,000 tons of eCO2.
“To align these trends with targets, energy efficiency measures should be considered, along with further expansion of renewable energy sources,” the report said.
The 2023 ROSE report found that while the City of Windsor has advanced “dozens of laudable plans, initiatives, studies and events” related to climate, the city is also making efforts to share the successes of these efforts with residents and residents. He concluded by stating that it is necessary to convey the message well. Person concerned.
“A lack of recognition of the city's efforts to combat climate change has left many residents feeling excluded. This has led to frustration with the contradiction between investing in vehicle infrastructure and working to reduce emissions. ” states the report.
“Many concerns centered on the lack of green space. In addition, many residents expressed anxiety and dissatisfaction with construction on floodplain land. Another concern was the drive to reduce urban sprawl by building.
The report highlighted Windsor residents' “disillusionment” with the city's leadership, citing a perceived lack of visible progress despite existing plans and initiatives.
Concerns center on the need for increased staffing and resources to effectively protect land and improve air and water quality, and residents believe these goals are in line with other Ontario municipalities. I feel that it is not possible to achieve this at the moment.
“The public wants improved community engagement and engagement efforts that prioritize interaction with nature and build an emotional connection to conservation.”