CLIMATE ACTION PL AN RENEWAL CONSULTATION BACKGROUND 1 of 6

The current climate conversationThe University of Calgary aims to become a Canadian post-secondary leader in sustainability, in our academic and engagement programs, administrative and operational practices, and through supporting community and industry in their aims for leadership in sustainability.

As UCalgary prepares to renew its Climate Action Plan (CAP), it is important to consider what is happening in the

world around us and the local, provincial and national commitments that have been made around climate change.

These perspectives will help inform what UCalgary should take into consideration during the renewal process.

An international, national, provincial and municipal view of climate change

The COP211 climate conference held in Paris in November 2015 brought together tens of thousands of people from

195 countries to tackle the question: how can we keep global temperatures from rising to a point that would result in

significant, irreversible impacts to the planet?

As a result, countries set their own targets for reducing national GHG emissions. Collectively, they form the Paris Agreement on climate change, which went into force on November 4, 2016. The new agreement will strengthen the

effort to limit the global average temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius and pursue efforts to limit the increase

to 1.5 degrees Celsius. As of November 2017, 195 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

members, including Canada, have signed the agreement. While the targets aren’t legally binding, countries are asked to

update them every five years. As well, countries such as Canada are asked to formally approve the targets domestically.

What did Canada commit to as part of the Paris Accord?

In 2015, the Government of Canada held to its commitment made as part of the Copenhagen process: an 80 per cent

reduction in emissions from 2005 levels by 2050; a 30 per cent reduction in emissions from 2005 levels by 2030; and a

17 per cent reduction by 2020. The 2020 and 2030 pledges set the international foundation for the federal government’s

climate deal with provinces.

On March 3, 2016, Canada’s Premiers and Prime Minister released the Vancouver Declaration on Clean Growth and

Climate Change and agreed to take a collaborative approach between provincial, territorial, and federal governments in

reducing GHG emissions and enable sustainable economic growth.

1 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

CLIMATE ACTION PL AN RENEWAL CONSULTATION BACKGROUND 2 of 6

In December 2016, the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean

Growth and Climate Change was adopted by all provinces

and territories except for Saskatchewan (which is planning

to fight the federal policy in court) and Manitoba (which has

announced their own Climate Plan). The federal government has

committed to ensuring that the provinces and territories have

the flexibility to design their own policies and programs to meet

emissions-reductions targets, supported by federal investments

in infrastructure, specific emission-reduction opportunities

and clean technologies. These support programs are offset by

a federal backstop — any province not implementing policies

and programs to meet emissions-reductions targets will face an

economy-wide carbon tax implemented by the federal government

starting in 2019, with the revenue returned to the province.

As part of the Framework, the federal government will support

improving energy efficiency of our homes and buildings. The

Government of Canada will provide tools to make new buildings

more energy efficient, and help provinces and territories develop

retrofit codes for existing buildings.

The federal government has begun to roll out a myriad of

programs and grants under the Pan-Canadian Framework

on Clean Growth and Climate Change to support avenues for

addressing emissions-reductions.

Many Canadian provinces are already leading the way on pricing

carbon pollution, including Alberta, which has a hybrid system

that combines a carbon levy with a performance-based system for

large industrial emitters. Federal carbon pricing is now in place for

those provinces that have not priced carbon. Under the Framework,

provinces and territories will keep any revenues generated by

pricing carbon pollution. Alberta uses the revenues to support

consumers, small businesses and clean technology programs.

In May 2017, Canada submitted the Nationally Determined

Contribution to the international bodies responsible for

coordinating the Paris Agreement. In its submission, the

Government of Canada announced that it’s on track to “meet or

even exceed its target to reduce emissions to 30 per cent below

2005 levels by 2030.”2

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Timeline

STOCKHOLM, 1972 This was the first-time world leaders from 113 countries gathered to talk about the health of the planet.

RIO, 1992 The Earth Summit brought together more than 170 countries and eventually produced treaties on climate change, soil erosion and species loss.

KYOTO, 1997 Established in 1997, the Kyoto Protocol committed developed signatory countries to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by an average of five per cent compared with 1990 levels. The agreement became legally binding in 2005, with the first commitment period running from 2008 to 2012. Canada’s target was an average of six per cent below 1990 levels over the 2008 to 2012 period. In 2001, the U.S. Senate declined to ratify the agreement, and in 2011, Canada withdrew from the protocol.

MONTREAL, 2005 The biggest climate summit since Kyoto launched discussions for what would come after the protocol ended in 2012.

COPENHAGEN, 2009 The goal was an international pact to tackle climate change, but the conference ended with no such pact. Under the Copenhagen Accord, Canada pledged to reduce its annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 17 per cent below 2005 levels by 2020.

PARIS, 2015 The goal was to reach an international deal to slow the growth of greenhouse-gas emissions without creating an agreement that required national ratification and avoid an average global temperature increase greater than 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. Targets are non-binding and each country is asked to submit a Nationally Determined Contribution towards the collective goal.

In addition to the UNFCC, United Nations has established 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which provide both direct and indirect guidance for climate action, including guidance for sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumptions and production, climate action, life below water, and life on land.Source: Adapted from The Globe and Mail, Nov. 29, 2015

2 Canada’s 2017 Nationally Determined Contribution Submission to The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Canada Government

CLIMATE ACTION PL AN RENEWAL CONSULTATION BACKGROUND 3 of 6

3 https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/environmental-indicators/global-greenhouse-gas-emissions.html4 http://cait.wri.org/historical

Source: cait.wri.org/historical and Environment Canada

BY THE NUMBERS: CANADIAN GHG EMISSIONS

FIGURE 2 – TOTAL GHG EMISSIONS – SELECTED COUNTRIES (source: http://cait.wri.org/historical and Environment Canada)

China’ssituationisofcriticalimportanceastheyalreadyrepresentaquarteroftheworld’semissionsandwouldbeexpectedtogrowemissionssubstantiallyastheycontinueonthepathtobecomingtheworld’slargesteconomy.Theircommitmentto“peakemissionsby2030andmakingbesteffortstopeakearlier”islikelytobeaverychallenginggoalwhiletheysimultaneouslyseektoraiseaveragestandardsoflivingtodevelopedcountrylevels.

Incontrast,India’sINDCdidnotspecifywhenemissionsareforecasttopeak.Thisisproblematicforacountrythatsawitsemissionstriplebetween1990and2012andiscurrentlythethirdlargestglobalemitter.Itisestimatedthat“ifIndia’semissionsweretopeakwhenIndiareachedthesamepercapitaincomeasChinaisexpectedtohavein2030,thepeakwillnotoccuruntilabout2043”.5Suchalatepeakinemissionsisclearlyinconsistentwithmovingglobalemissionstoadownwardpath.

GH

G (

Mt

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8,000

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China United States India Germany Mexico Australia Canada

Germany Mexico Australia Canada

5. http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/planetpolicy/posts/2015/12/11-india-greater-emissions-reductions-dhar, consulted January 2016.

1990 2000 2005 2010 2012 2020(targetINDC) 2030(targetINDC)(2025forUSA)

TOTAL GHG EMISSIONS — SELECTED COUNTRIES

Within Canada, GHG emissions vary widely across provinces.

Canada’s GHG Emissions

In 2013, global GHG emissions reached 45,261 Mt, an increase of 18.3 per cent over 2005.3

Canada emits approximately 1.6 per cent of the world’s GHG emissions.4 However, Canada is among the top ten global emitters (on an absolute basis) and is within the top three countries for emissions per capita.

BY THE NUMBERS: CANADIAN GHG EMISSIONS 11

Figure4showsthewidedisparityinemissionsacrossprovinces.Emissionsin2013rangefrom267MtinAlbertato1.8MtinPrinceEdwardIsland.Inorder,thefourlargestemittingprovincesareAlberta,Ontario,QuebecandSaskatchewan.

NFLD PEI NS NB QC ON MB SK AB BC Terr

1990 2000 2005 2010 2012 2020(prov.targets) 2030(prov.targets)

FIGURE 4 – GHG EMISSIONS PER PROVINCE, 1990 - 2013 AND PROJECTED LEVELS FOR 2020 AND 2030 TARGETS

300,000

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PROVINCE2013 EMISSIONS PER CAPITA POLICY MEASURES 2020 TARGET 2030 TARGET

Alberta 267.0Mt(66.6t/capita)

Alberta’s Climate Leadership Plan(2015)15presentsthenewstrategyonclimatechangebasedonrecommendationsputforwardbytheClimateChangeAdvisoryPanel.Detailsofthefinalstrategyarebeingdeveloped,buttheplancovers4keyareas:Phasingoutcoal-generatedelectricityanddevelopingmorerenewableenergy,implementinganewcarbonprice,legislatedoilsandsemissionlimit,andimplementinganewmethaneemissionreductionplan.

Implementationoftheplanisexpectedtoreduceemissionsby20Mtfrombusiness-as-usualscenario(297Mt).

Implementationoftheplanisexpectedtoreduceemissionsby50Mtfrombusiness-as-usualscenario(320Mt).

British Columbia

62.8Mt(13.7t/capita)

Climate Action Plan (2008)16introducesshort,mediumandlong-termtargetsaswellasanumberofprovinciallegislations,includingtheCarbonTaxAct.

33%below2007 40%below2007(targethasbeenproposedbutnotadopted)

Territories 2.0Mt(17.6t/capita)

Yukon Government Climate Change Action Plan (2009),17 NWT’s A Greenhouse Gas Strategy 2011-2015(2011)18andNunavut’sClimate Change Strategy(2003)19allintroduceanumberofmeasurestomitigatebutalsoadapttoclimatechange.

Yukon:CarbonneutralGovernmentrelatedemissionsNWT:limitto+66%from2005

NWT:Returnto2005levels

CANADA 726.1Mt(20.7t/capita)

Federalmeasurestodateincludesectoralregulations(lightandheavyvehicles,electricitystandardsforcoal-firedgeneration,energyefficiencymeasures,etc.)

17%below2005 30%below2005

GHG EMISSIONS PER PROVINCE, 1990–2013 AND PROJECTED LEVELS FOR 2020 AND 2030 TARGETS

Even if all provincial targets were fully achieved, Canada would still need to reduce GHG emissions by an additional 45 metric tonnes in 2020 and 55 metric tonnes in 2030 to meet its international commitments.

Source: By the Numbers: Canadian GHG Emissions

CLIMATE ACTION PL AN RENEWAL CONSULTATION BACKGROUND 4 of 6

What has Alberta committed to?

The Government of Alberta’s 2017 Climate Leadership Plan is a made-in-Alberta strategy on how to take action

on climate change while protecting the province’s health, environment and economy.

Key aspects of the plan include:

• phasing out pollution from coal-generated electricity by 2030;

• tripling renewable energy supply to 30 per cent of generation by 2030;

• reducing emissions from the oil and gas sector;

• creating Energy Efficiency Alberta to deliver energy saving programs; and,

• implementing an economy-wide price on carbon.

Between 2017 and 2019, $5.4 billion in gross carbon pricing revenue will be allocated in efforts to save energy,

create opportunities to diversify Alberta’s economy and to help households, businesses and communities

adjust to the carbon price and reduce emissions. Small emitters and households pay a carbon levy on heating

and transport fuels, starting at $20 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) in 2017, increasing to $30

per tonne in 2018. Large emitters and those in trade-exposed industries will transition from the Specified Gas

Emitters Regulation (SGER) to a carbon competitive system in January 2018. This system will use an output-

based emission allocations approach, a method for allocating emissions credits for different industries under a

system like cap and trade.5

5 Output-based Allocation System Engagement, Alberta Government

CLIMATE LEADERSHIP FUNDING (millions of dollars)

Source: Government of Alberta Climate Leadership Plan 55 FISCAL PLAN 2017 –20 • CLIMATE LEADERSHIP PLAN

CLIMATE LEADERSHIP PLAN

CLIMATE LEADERSHIP PLAN OVERVIEW

emissions, ensure Alberta’s resources are developed responsibly and create new opportunities to diversify the economy into renewable energy.

Key aspects of the Climate Leadership Plan include:

� Phasing out pollution from coal-generated electricity by 2030;

� Tripling renewable energy to supply 30% of generation by 2030;

� Reducing emissions from the oil and gas sector;

�

� Implementing an economy-wide price on carbon.

CLIMATE LEADERSHIP FUNDINGOver the next three years, $5.

economy and to help households, businesses and communities adjust to the carbon price and reduce emissions. CLP budget details are provided on .

3-Year Total Funding: $5.4 Billion

Climate Leadership Funding ($ million) 3 Year Total Funding: $5.4 Billion

* Revenue recycling into bioenergy, renewable energy, innovation and technology, coal community transition and other Climate Leadership Plan imp

chrt_01.pdf

Small Business Tax Reduction

$56510%

Household Rebates$1,510 28%

Energy Efficiency$56611%

Indigenous Communities

$1513%

Coal Phase-Out Agreements

$2915%

Capital (Green Infrastructure)

$1,274 24%

Other Initiatives*$99819%

a Revenue recycling into bioenergy, renewable energy, innovation and technology, coal community transition and other Climate Leadership Plan implementation initiatives.

a

3-Year Total Funding: $5.4 Billion

Pages from fiscal-plan-climate-leadership-plan.pdf 1 2018-01-24 12:28 PM

All carbon pricing revenue is recycled to fund emissions reductions, economic diversification and adjustments to the carbon price.

CLIMATE ACTION PL AN RENEWAL CONSULTATION BACKGROUND 5 of 6

As part of Calgary’s Climate Program, the City of Calgary has established a team dedicated to coordinating City,

citizen and business actions to reduce human causes to climate change. In alignment with the Pan-Canadian Framework on clean growth and climate change, the team is developing a Climate Resilience Plan that will be

presented to Council in Spring 2018.

The plan will outline the strategies and actions the City will take to improve energy management and reduce greenhouse

gas emissions. It will also include a Low Carbon Plan to reduce emissions and improve energy management in Calgary to

support The City’s long-term targets:

• 20 per cent below 2005 levels by 2020

• 80 per cent below 2005 levels by 2050

The plan will identify opportunities for carbon reductions and energy management in key sectors, including buildings and

energy systems, land-use and transportation, and consumption and waste needed to facilitate the successful transition to

a low carbon future.

What has the City of Calgary committed to?

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Building  Climate  Resilience

2017-­12-­10 Climate  Change  in  CalgarySource: Calgary’s Climate Program

CLIMATE ACTION PL AN RENEWAL CONSULTATION BACKGROUND 6 of 6

What does this mean for UCalgary?

Understanding what has transpired over the past seven years from an international, national, provincial and municipal

climate change perspective will help inform the dialogue and debate around what is next for UCalgary’s renewed Climate

Action Plan.

Driven by its goal to become a Canadian post-secondary education leader in sustainability, and in alignment with federal

and provincial pledges of, and policies enacted in support of reductions in GHG emissions, and in consideration of the

university’s growth over the past seven years, UCalgary is renewing its 2010 Climate Action Plan.

The 2018 Climate Action Plan will help advance the goals of UCalgary’s highest level strategic plans — the Eyes High Strategic Vision, Academic and Strategic Research Plans and the Institutional Sustainability Strategy — and will serve as an

operational roadmap for transitioning to a low carbon campus in alignment with our research strategy: Energy Innovations

for Today and Tomorrow.

From January to March, 2018, UCalgary is seeking input from university stakeholders, including students, faculty, and

staff to inform the renewed CAP through an institution-wide consultation process.

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UCalgary students, faculty and staff can participate in the Climate Action Plan renewal consultation opportunities that work best for you. This is your opportunity to share your ideas for a sustainable future at UCalgary, and contribute to how we move toward our GHG emission reduction targets.

Visit ucalgary.ca/sustainability/cap to:

• Register for a focus group • Complete the online survey• Take the weekly poll • Send a comment to sustain@ucalgary.ca

Your feedback will help focus UCalgary’s renewed Climate Action Plan targets and priorities.

Your input is important