RICHMOND HILL FIRST IN ONTARIO TO ACHIEVE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTION
TARGET

Richmond Hill exceeds its target for municipal operations by over 30 per cent

RICHMOND HILL, ON, Sept. 28 /CNW/ - Due to its strong commitment to global climate protection, the Town of Richmond Hill has not only met, but actually exceeded its corporate greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reduction target under the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program for its municipal operations with an over 30 per cent reduction below year 2000 levels.

"We are extremely proud of this significant accomplishment as we set a high standard for ourselves in reaching the greenhouse gas emissions target and then we even exceeded it by over 30 per cent," said Mayor Dave Barrow. "We plan to keep this momentum going by continuing to make environmental sustainability a priority."

Since 1996, Richmond Hill has actively participated in a Clean Air Initiatives Program, committing to reduce GHG emissions. The Town's 2004 Clean Air Local Action Plan set corporate GHG emissions reduction targets for 2010. The Town's corporate GHG inventory update for 2009 shows that it not only met its 20 per cent reduction target, but also exceeded its target by over 30 per cent since the year 2000. This accomplishment is made all the more significant by taking into account the growth of the town's population by 37 per cent (from approximately 135,000 to over 185,000) during that same period.

Richmond Hill now proudly joins the short list of cities that have succeeded in meeting their GHG reduction targets under the Partners for Climate Protection program, including Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Fredericton and Whistler.

How is Richmond Hill doing it?

Richmond Hill has succeeded in achieving this goal, thanks to the collective efforts of Council, various departments and staff-lead initiatives that have helped in implementing the many programs. The Town has also benefited from the work done at the Provincial level to reduce the impact from electricity generating stations, such as the phasing out of coal-fired plants, as this results in lower emissions associated with the Town's electricity usage. To reduce its carbon and energy footprint, the Town has undertaken some important initiatives such as:

• Geothermal heating and cooling at Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts
  
• Solar water heating at Municipal Offices
  
• Energy efficient equipment upgrades at 10 buildings
  
• Use of biodiesel in fleet
  
• Purchase of hybrid vehicles
  
• LEED building policy for Town buildings
  
• Building energy auditing program
  
• Development and implementation of Energy Management Plan
  
• Anti-idling program

The Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program is a network of over 200 Canadian municipalities that have committed to reducing greenhouse gases and acting on climate change. PCP is a partnership between the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability. PCP receives financial support from FCM's Green Municipal Fund™.

"FCM is always pleased to be able to support municipalities in their climate protection efforts," said Brenda Hogg, Deputy Mayor and FCM Director. "The Town's initiatives demonstrate that municipal governments in Canada are leading the way in reducing their carbon footprint."

The Town's commitment to reducing GHG emissions is far from done. Town staff will be working with the PCP program and other stakeholders to develop the next steps in this program. More work is already underway that will further the Town's efforts in reducing GHG, such as four additional buildings with solar hot water heating, including two swimming pools, two additional buildings with geothermal heating and cooling and the Town's first LEED certified building, in addition to other measures.

For more information on Richmond Hill's environmental programs and services, visit RichmondHill.ca/environment.

For further information:

Daniel Olding, Manager of Grants & Strategic Initiatives, 905-771-5505, [email protected]
George Flint, Manager of Environmental Programs, 905-771-2455, [email protected]