‘No one is untouched’: Burlington's multifaceted response to climate change

Thestar.com
Sept. 7, 2021

The weather is expected to change, and the city has laid out a plan to change with it.

On Aug. 27, the City of Burlington announced it was developing a strategy for what is projected to be more extreme, and unpredictable weather conditions. Called Climate Resilient Burlington -- A Plan for Adapting to Our Warmer, Wetter and Wilder Weather, the idea is to prepare the city for an increase in weather-related risks and vulnerabilities.

The plan is part of a suite of programs and actions occurring around the city in response to climate change.

“No one is untouched by climate change. There's no borders when it comes to climate change. And, while we might not be witnessing the more visible, devastating effects, like the raging fires or rising sea level, the droughts and the climate refugee populations and those devastating events, there are impacts here in Burlington,” said Amy Schnurr, executive director of community-driven organization Burlington Green.

A handful of local climate-related problems include the 2014 flood that damaged thousands of homes and businesses, the rise in invasive species, and the unpredictable weather coming off the lake that was cited as part of the reasoning for the multimillion dollar investment in a new wave break at LaSalle Park Marina.

The city sees the climate crisis as one that requires action throughout the community. It is currently developing a number of responses, including a home energy retrofit program that will provide information and an assessment of financing options for homeowners to upgrade their homes with more energy efficient options.

Lynn Robichaud, manager, environmental sustainability at the city, said the city is looking at a variety of ways to respond to the challenge.

“Climate change is not just about city hall, so the challenge is: how can we support all members of the community to reduce their carbon footprint in their homes and how they get around the community? And just as important, Climate Resilient Burlington will help us to address how to prepare for the impacts of our changing climate by managing and reducing risk, particularly for those most vulnerable in our community,” said Robichaud.

In 2019, the city declared a climate emergency and a year later approved a climate action plan with a target to become a net carbon zero community by 2050.

Schnurr argues that the response to climate change should be similar to the COVID-19 pandemic response in that it must be guided by science and acted on with urgency.

“All municipalities, including Burlington, really need to integrate climate change and environmental sustainability into all aspects of their planning and their policies and their funding and their decision-making. It can't just be within the climate action plan. It needs to be crosscutting throughout all departments and all decision-making,” said Schnurr. “City hall can't do it alone. It has to be really outward facing. It has to be that the residents aren't dependent on the city to fix the climate change problem.”