What is climate change?
Climate change is caused by human activities, like the burning of fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and natural gas) for energy, releasing unprecedented amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These greenhouse gases (GHGs), like carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and others, contribute to the greenhouse effect, which is warming our planet and disrupting the balance of our natural, life-sustaining, systems.
Impacts on our region
Even if we could stop emitting today over the next fifty years, the capital region will see longer, drier summers and wetter winters, more intense and frequent storms, and rising sea levels. Without action, these changes threaten a variety of regional and local government services, as well as overall community health and well-being.
Climate Emergency Declaration
In February 2019, the Capital Regional District (CRD) Board joined many other local governments across the globe in declaring a climate emergency and identified Climate Action & Environmental Stewardship as a top priority. The CRD is working to reduce the organization’s greenhouse gases, prepare for climate impacts and support climate action efforts across the region. In 2021, CRD staff completed a comprehensive, data-driven planning process to create a renewed Climate Action Strategy that provides clarity on the role the CRD can play as a leader in climate action over the next five years. Read more >>
Taking action on climate change
Even though climate change is a global problem, we can make a big difference locally. We all have a role to play in reducing our GHG emissions and mitigating the worst effects of climate change by rethinking how we heat our buildings, how we get around, what we consume, and how we dispose of our waste. We must prepare our infrastructure and lands for the effects of climate change to build more resilient communities.
Learn more about: