Climate Change and Air Quality

Climate change is a long-term shift in climate 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. 

A balanced amount of greenhouse gases keeps our planet habitable. However, since industrialization, greenhouse gases have increased by 40 per cent and are impacting our climate.

As noted above, measures to reduce air emissions often have the co-benefit of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

• Implementation of a Green Fleet Strategy to improve the sustainability of the city's fleet by: adding hybrid vehicles (including aerial trucks), right sizing vehicles for their function, and using bio-diesel fuel from May to September.

• Improving the energy efficiency of city facilities through the energy management program.

• Use of renewable energy at city facilities, including solar (such as the innovative solar wall at Fire Station #8).

• Adoption of an anti-idling bylaw in 2004 which was strengthened when updated in 2009 (one minute, removal of temperature exemption, enforcement by parking enforcement officers) and amalgamated with the parking bylaw in 2014 to become the Parking and Idling Bylaw.

• Implementation of a corporate sustainable building policy.

• Implementation of a zero waste strategy.

• Working with community stakeholders to implement a community energy plan.

• Support for a sustainable transportation network for transit users, cyclists and pedestrians.

• Participation in municipal networks, such as the Clean Air Council under the Clean Air Partnership and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities/ICLEI's Partners for Climate Protection program.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently stated that human influence on the climate system is clear.  The atmospheric concentration of key greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide) is unprecedented in the last 800,000 years, with our fossil fuel driven economies and the increase in population to blame.

Recognizing that climate change is already occurring and we are experiencing its effects, such as increased frequency of severe weather events, adaptation measures are necessary for city operations and services, including:

• Heat and smog response actions: Pools and community centres have extended hours as cooling centres during extreme heat episodes. The city implements measures to reduce emissions from city vehicles and equipment to lessen our impact on poor air quality.

• Infrastructure: The city continues to review design and construction standards to consider resiliency in the face of increasing impacts of climate change.

• Flood mitigation: The city is also working with a consultant and Conservation Halton to review flood mapping and measures to identify improvements after the significant rain event of August 2014.

Smog is used to describe a mixture of pollutants primarily made up of ground level ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Other major components include:

• Sulphur dioxide (SO2)
• Nitrogen oxides (NOx)
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
• Carbon monoxide (CO)
• Ammonia (NH3)

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 paints, and as a result of natural processes. Smog can negatively impact human and ecological health.

• Air Quality Ontario
• Air Quality in Halton Region
• Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change