The most significant sustainable initiative currently underway in Orillia is the development of a Community Climate Change Action Plan (CCCAP). This plan, now appropriately christened ‘Orillia’s Climate Future’ is being led by the City, with support and input from all corners of the community. Since its inception, Sustainable Orillia has provided ongoing input to the project. More recently, support for the implementation of approved project recommendations was embedded into Sustainable Orillia’s 2022 Strategic Plan. Our organization is committed to making this happen.
The Launch of Orillia’s Community Climate Change Action Plan – Fall 2021
In mid-2021, the City of Orillia received City Council’s approval to pursue the development of a long-term Community Climate Change Action Plan or ‘CCCAP’ – more recently known as ‘Orillia’s Climate Future’. An initiative that will benefit everyone in Orillia, present and future. Balancing longer-term vision with ‘here and now’ action, the CCCAP’s overall objective is to chart a course for the municipality to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and enhance the community’s resilience to climate change. Along with a longer-term vision, the plan will identify priority strategies with the most potential to reduce Orillia’s carbon footprint over the next five years—providing focus for the City’s planning and investments in the battle against climate change.
A Year-End Update on the ‘Orillia’s Climate Future Project’
The most significant sustainable initiative currently underway in Orillia is the development of a Community Climate Change Action Plan (CCCAP). As mentioned in previous updates, this plan… now appropriately christened ‘Orillia’s Climate Future’ is being led by the City, with support and input from all corners of the community. Since its inception, Sustainable Orillia has provided ongoing input as part of several committees. We continue to monitor and report out on the project’s progress and more recently, as part of Sustainable Orillia’s 2022 planning process – support to help implement approved project recommendations was embedded into our 2022 Strategic Plan.
Released April 14, 2022: Sustainable Orillia endorses Council decisions
Sustainable Orillia (SO) is pleased to endorse two key decisions made in principle by City Council this past Monday, April 11, 2022. Council’s approval in principle of the report titled ‘Orillia’s Climate Future’, plus their decision to expand their review of boundary expansion options are both very positive steps forward and reflect a growing commitment to increased sustainability for our community.
‘Orillia’s Climate Future’, is a comprehensive climate action plan that sets out progressive emission reduction targets for both the Corporation of the City of Orillia and the community overall. The plan identifies key actions in support of three ‘Big Moves’: to ‘Increase Renewable Energy’; to ‘Electrify Transportation’ and to ‘Make our Buildings Energy Efficient’. Since inception in 2019, Sustainable Orillia has advocated for these initiatives, which we continued to do throughout the plan’s consultations. We are very pleased to see them positioned as the plan’s primary pathways to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
As part of Council’s decision to consider additional intensification as part of the boundary expansion review, Council’s approval for the development of a set of planning principles or guidelines for the overall review was very gratifying.
Orillia’s Climate Future: April 2022—A Big Month for Big Moves!
After several years of working with community stakeholders and external experts – capturing input, sharing knowledge and building support for an overall community climate change action plan – Orillia’s Climate Future plan has received approval in principle by City Council, leading to final endorsement, expected later this month. Councillors have vested many hours in reviewing the plan and, with final endorsement, Orillia will join over 400 other Canadian communities with established emission reduction targets, plus plans in place to achieve them by 2050.