Joy Lachica

Peterborough, ON City Councillor for Town Ward

Advance Climate Action Commitments, Clean Energy Investment & Sustainability

Promote a lifestyle-based urban climate action plan

Immediately develop an urban heat map and Extreme Heat Strategy

Launch community-focused climate action plans in Town Ward’s neighbourhoods to empower residents and families to take meaningful and affordable climate action that will ensure we are smarter, safer, and better prepared.

Engage community groups and agencies to help develop community-focused climate action plans that help residents to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

Access funding and grant programs to improve energy efficiency and to get off fossil-fuel-based heating.

Create and utilize green infrastructure to enhance resilience to climate risks like extreme rainfall and hotter temperatures.

Many jurisdictions are now developing an Extreme Heat Strategy, and Canadian leaders are calling for urgent action to adapt to heat. Athens, Greece has a Chief Heat Officer. We would do well to implement this best practice to both mitigation and adaptation strategies in Peterborough’s response to the climate emergency.

Set up neighbourhood emergency support networks when hazards and power outages strike, and celebrate the creativity and progress that emerges.

Strive to make Town Ward a leader in community-focused climate action that can be emulated in our neighbourhoods across Peterborough, and even across Ontario.

In order to enable a just transition to a clean economy our city needs to promote and leverage Peterborough’s unique leadership in clean technology and innovation to attract the good green jobs and skilled trades to build the businesses of tomorrow.

This means attracting investment for skills retraining and an entrepreneurial eye for business that will bring these jobs here to make our city better and greener: jobs in retrofitting our homes and older buildings to be leed certified or, at least, more energy-efficient. Town Ward could be pivotal in contributing to Ontario’s low-carbon-manufacturing supply-chain, and lead science and research into new energy ventures.