Electric vehicles, carbon-neutral buildings part of plan to reduce corporate GHG emissions in King

Yorkregion.com
April 24, 2023

It’s been almost four years since King council declared a climate emergency.

As Earth Day approaches on April 22, a look back at what the township has accomplished since then, and what it might have to work on, is important to move forward on sustainability and climate change in York Region’s largest municipality.

Council made the declaration in July 2019, just three weeks after the House of Commons passed a motion declaring a national climate emergency.

Part of King’s commitment to the environment included the adoption of a corporate energy and conservation plan. The King Township Corporate Energy Management and Conservation Plan 2019-2023 includes a goal of reducing emissions by 45 per cent by 2030.

The new municipal centre opened in 2018 with several sustainability features, such as low-flow water fixtures, electric vehicle charging stations, geothermal exchange system and LED lighting.

The township-wide recreation centre -- expected to open in 2024 -- is designed as carbon neutral. When the closing of the Nobleton arena is accounted for, this will represent at least a 10-per-cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) for the township.

“We’re really serious about curbing the greenhouse gas emissions that are produced at township-owned facilities and through our fleet,” Pellegrini said.

Over the last few years, the township has added green vehicles to its fleet, including the recent addition of an all-electric Ford Lightning.

King is the 19th municipality to receive a "Bird Friendly City" designation by Nature Canada. The designation is given to municipalities that are safe havens for birds. Protecting pollinators, bird-friendly design strategies, terrestrial invasive species monitoring and native seed-saving libraries, are all things that helped King snag the designation.

Before being acknowledged as a refuge for birds, King was certified as a "Bee City."

Beyond what the township can do at a corporate level, Pellegrini said it’s important that businesses and residents get on board with sustainability.

“We’re trying to make it easy and cost-effective for people,” he added.

Bruce Craig and Catherine Flear, respective chairs of Concerned Citizens of King Township and Climate Action King, think the township is doing a lot of things right when it comes to environmental stewardship.

The township hired a climate change co-ordinator, established an environmental action team and created a municipal climate action plan -- all things Craig and Flear are encouraged by.

Youth are being included in environmental sustainability by the township through elementary and high school engagement and also through summer camps, something Craig said he’s happy about.

The township has supported Climate Action King in two community events with a focus on electric transportation and is partnering with the group on a community event about air source heat pumps.

Craig and Flear agree the township is doing well, but believe more could be done for environmental stewardship.

CCKT and CAK members think King needs a private tree protection bylaw in addition to its tree management plan for municipal lands.

Private development is another area where Craig and Flear have some concerns.

“In terms of really going to a carbon-neutral, net-zero building, we’re a long way from it," Craig said. "We’ve got these huge high, towering houses being built using tons of natural resources. It’s probably pretty unsustainable with the size of the houses for the number of people.”

The heating and cooling of these homes could be a focus to help bring development to a more eco-friendly space in King.

Air source heat pumps that work well in cold weather could replace natural gas furnaces in new developments, Flear said.

“They’re disturbing the soil already. It’s not just heating, it also does cooling,” Flear said.

Flear points to a development in King that is connecting 1,000 homes to natural gas as a “missed opportunity.”

At Marylake, where the large-scale development of a long-term-care home is being proposed, the township is in the position to take on a “leading role” in protecting the Oak Ridges Moraine, Craig said.