That the Minutes of the Environment Advisory Committee Meeting of February 9, 2021, to the Committee of Council Meeting of February 24, 2021, Recommendations EAC001-2021 to EAC009-2021 be approved, as published and circulated.
The recommendations were approved as follows:
EAC001-2021
That the agenda for the Environment Advisory Committee Meeting of February 9, 2021, be approved, as published and circulated.
EAC002-2021
That the delegation from Jack Gibbons, Chair, Ontario Clean Air Alliance, to the Environment Advisory Committee Meeting of February 9, 2021, re: Municipal Resolution - Phasing Out Ontario's Gas-Fired Power Plants be received; and,
WHEREAS the Government of Ontario is forecast to increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from Ontario’s natural gas-fired power plants from 3 megatonnes CO2e in 2017 to 11 megatonnnes CO2e by 2030 and to approximately 13 megatonnes CO2e by 2040, reversing more than a third of the GHG reductions that were achieved by phasing out coal-fired power plants; and,
WHEREAS GHG emissions are causing temperatures to rise in Canada at more than double the rate of the rest of the world, causing impacts to municipal operations and affecting City of Brampton residents; and,
WHEREAS, in June 2019, the City of Brampton declared a climate emergency; and,
WHEREAS, in September 2020, the City of Brampton approved the City’s first comprehensive Community Energy and Emissions Reductions Plan (CEERP); and,
WHEREAS the CEERP sets out ambitious goals, including reducing GHG emissions by 30% from 2016 levels by 2030, 50% by 2040, and at least 80% by 2050; and
WHEREAS, if the City is to meet its targets under the CEERP, the Ontario electricity grid must remain low carbon; and,
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that it is the position of the Environment Advisory Committee:
1. That the City of Brampton requests the Government of Ontario to place an interim cap of 2.5 megatonnes per year on GHG emissions from Ontario’s natural gas-fired power plants and develop and implement a plan to phase-out all natural gas-fired electricity generation by 2030 to ensure that Ontario meets its climate targets; and,
2. That the City of Brampton request that the Government of Ontario invest in residential, business, industrial and institutional energy efficiency programs to reduce the need for additional natural gas-fired power plants; and,
3. That this resolution be sent to the Minister Environment, Conservation, and Parks, the Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, David Piccini, MPP, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
EAC003-2021
1. That the presentation from Karley Cianchino, Environmental Planning Student, Public Works and Engineering, to the Environment Advisory Committee of February 9, 2021 re: Pursuing Bee City Canada designation for the City of Brampton be received;
2. That the Environment Advisory Committee endorse the City of Brampton pursuing the Bee City Canada designation, and recommend that Council direct City staff to submit the Bee City Canada application to designate Brampton as a Bee City.
EAC004-2021
1. That the verbal update from Michael Hoy, Supervisor, Environmental Planning, Public Works and Engineering, to the Environment Advisory Committee Meeting of February 9, 2021, re: Centre for Community Energy Transformation (CCET) be received; and,
2. That the delegation by Sylvia Roberts, Brampton Resident, to the Environment Advisory Committee meeting of February 9, 2021, re: Centre for Community Energy Transformation (CCET), be received.
EAC005-2021
That the verbal update from David Laing, Grow Green Network Working Group Chair, to the Environment Advisory Committee Meeting of February 9, 2021, re: Status of the Grow Green Network, be received.
EAC006-2021
That the verbal update from Michael Hoy, Supervisor, Environmental Planning, to the Environment Advisory Committee Meeting of February 9, 2021, re: Progress on the Grow Green Network Website Update be received.
EAC007-2021
That the verbal update from Zoe Milligan, Environmental Project Specialist, Public Works and Engineering, to the Environment Advisory Committee Meeting of February 9, 2021, re: Designating September as Brampton Tree Month be received.
EAC008-2021
That the Correspondence from City Councillor Whillans, to the Environment Advisory Committee Meeting of February 9, 2021, re: Atlas365 Inc. Announcement titled "Black Entrepreneurs Get Green, In A Majority White Cannabis Industry: Atlas365 Inc. Secures Oversubscribed Round for New Portfolio Company: Canurta Inc.", be received.
EAC009-2021
That the Environment Advisory Committee do now adjourn to meet again on Tuesday, April 13, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. or at the call of the Chair.