Learn about how the City of Burlington is taking steps to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and prepare for the effects of climate change in our community.
Our Climate Action Plan identifies a low-carbon energy pathway for the community. Incorporating community member and stakeholder engagement, it builds on our Climate Emergency Declaration to set a strong direction for the City and our community to reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions. It includes a vision for the future and outlines seven areas to guide efforts:
View our Climate Action Plan project page, which includes key project dates, document libraries, how to get involved and more.
Staff Reports and Presentations |
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Climate Resilient Burlington: A Plan for Adapting to Our Warmer, Wetter and Wilder Weather identifies 32 actions to help us prepare for and adapt to our changing climate.
Visit the Climate Resilient Burlington project page to learn more about the initiative, including the recorded launch event, document libraries and more.
Climate Change Impacts Story Map |
View our interactive Climate Change Impacts Story Map with information on Burlington-specific climate change impacts resulting from the following climate hazards:
A list of resources is also available to help you prepare for and adapt to warmer, wetter and wilder weather. |
Staff reports and presentations |
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Existing programs and information |
Existing local programs or information that can help you prepare and adapt to warmer, wetter and wilder weather. Subsidies and grants
Extreme weather and public notification system
Disease
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The City of Burlington has been implementing an energy management program aimed at saving energy and reducing costs for City facilities for several years. Visit the Energy and City Operations page for more information on how Burlington is leading by example to reduce our carbon footprint.
The Take Action Burlington - An Update on Our Local Environment report provides an overview of the state of Burlington's environment, highlighting local sustainability efforts, climate change connections and actions that can be taken under the categories of land, air, water and waste.
You can also view our Take Action Burlington online story map for an interactive journey through the report.
Our Strategic Plan identifies the following commitments:
From Vision to Focus |
These commitments are further supported in our 2022-2026 Burlington's Plan: From Vision to Focus, under Focus Area 3 - Protecting and improving the natural environment and taking action on climate change. |
City actions |
Our City actions include:
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Climate change is a long-term shift, measured by changes in temperature, precipitation, winds and other indicators. Climate change can involve both changes in average conditions and changes in variability, including changes in extreme conditions.
The decisions we make every day, such as how we live and move around have an impact on emissions that contribute to poor air quality and climate change. The effects of climate change, such as more intense storms and flooding will also impact our everyday lives. Initiatives to reduce air emissions can also help reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) that contribute to climate change, and vice versa.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated that human influence on the climate system is clear. The atmospheric concentration of key GHGs (carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide) is unprecedented in the last 800,000 years, with our fossil fuel-driven economies and an increase in population to blame.
Check out the following videos produced by the Government of Canada to learn more about climate change.
What is the difference between weather and climate? |
Weather is the day-to-day changes in conditions, such as temperature and rainfall. Will we need a sunhat, an umbrella, or a jacket today? We live with weather. Climate is longer term and describes the expected weather in a region that is averaged over 30 years. In our region, our local climate typically includes hot, humid summers and cold winters. We plan for the climate. |
Smog and air quality |
Smog is used to describe a mixture of pollutants, primarily made up of:
These contaminants are released into the environment when we burn fossil fuels to run vehicles, buildings and industries through the evaporation of fuels and oil-based plants, and as a result of natural processes. Smog can negatively impact human health and ecological health. In 2023, we experienced unprecedented air quality issues due to the wildfires in northern Ontario and Quebec. Read the blog post “Living with Warmer, Wetter and Wilder Weather” for more information. Learn more about air quality in Halton Region and air quality in Ontario. |