Climate Action

What is Climate Change and Why Does it Matter?

Climate change is caused by human activity. When we burn fossil fuels for energy (like coal, oil, and natural gas), we release large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These greenhouse gases (GHGs), like carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and others, contribute to the greenhouse effect which is warming our planet and disrupting the balance of our natural, life-sustaining, systems.

The green house effect is the process of gases in the earth’s atmosphere trapping the sun’s heat. Without human influence, this effect is one of the natural processes that keeps the planet a comfortable place to live. Unfortunately, the large amounts of carbon emissions that come from human activity (such as burning fossil fuels like natural gas, oil and coal) causes the earth’s atmosphere to trap more and more heat, resulting in climate change.

Climate action is any effort taken to address climate change and lessen its negative impacts. Climate action usually involves two main concepts that can sometimes overlap:

Climate Mitigation – involves reducing or preventing the emission of GHGs into the atmosphere, such as switching from a gas powered car to an electric one.

Climate Adaptation – is the process of adjusting to the current and future effects of climate change such as restoring a wetland to help protect against flooding.

Many examples of climate action contribute to both climate mitigation and adaptation. For example, planting trees not only removes carbon dioxide from the air, but also offers shade, which helps lower temperatures in the surrounding area.

In February 2019, the Capital Regional District (CRD) Board joined many other local governments across the globe in declaring a climate emergency and identified Climate Action & Environmental Stewardship as a top priority. The CRD is working to reduce the organization’s greenhouse gases, prepare for climate impacts and support climate action efforts across the region.

In 2021, CRD staff completed a comprehensive, data-driven planning process to create a renewed Climate Action Strategy that provides clarity on the role the CRD can play as a leader in climate action.

The six pillars of this plan include:

climate-focused decision making across all CRD programs and services;
supporting the region on its pathway to livable, affordable and low-carbon communities that are prepared for climate change;
rapidly reducing corporate fleet emissions and supporting, endorsing and encouraging active, public and zero-emission transportation options;
accelerating energy efficiency, emission reductions and enhanced resilience in CRD buildings and infrastructure (while supporting the same for all buildings and infrastructure across the region);
protecting, conserving and managing ecosystem health and nature’s capacity to store carbon and adapt to climate change; and
minimizing waste generation and resulting emissions

Projected Impacts for Our Region

Although we can minimize the impacts of climate change by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, the climate is already changing and will continue to change. Over the next 50 years, the capital region will see longer, hotter and drier summers, wetter winters and more intense and frequent storms. As a coastal community, scientists also project the capital region will be impacted by sea-level rise.

Understanding Climate Risks

Without action, these changes threaten a variety of regional and local government services, as well as overall community health and well-being. To better understand the risks of climate change to our region and support planning efforts, the Capital Regional District (CRD) has engaged partners and consultants to model future climate projections related to precipitation and temperature, sea-level rise and coastal flood risk, and vulnerability to extreme heat.

By anticipating expected climate impacts and implementing adaptation strategies we can create more resilient communities. Residents, property owners, businesses, and local governments all play a role in preparing for the impacts of climate change.