Category: Sustainable water

Not to start 2025 on a downer note but, the climate crisis is upon us. 2024 will likely be the warmest year on record, the first to surpass the 1.5 degree Celsius mark set by the Paris Accord as a “safe” threshold to avoid the worst effects of a changing climate. In Canada, 2024 was a year of unprecedented climate related property damage, over $7B worth.

That said, we must realize that, even if we could reduce carbon emissions from fossil fuels to zero today, the earth’s temperature would continue rising for many decades accompanied by increasing weather-related risks. While carbon emissions reduction efforts are still critical to maintaining a livable future, steps must be taken now to prepare for the increasing hazards due to anticipated weather extremes both now and in the future.

Working with community stakeholders, City of Brampton staff have prepared the “Climate Ready Brampton” plan to address anticipated climate impacts on the City’s infrastructure, economy and natural systems. This plan defines the blueprint for action that will better equip the City to manage the changes and increase resiliency to recover quickly from adverse climate impacts.

The development of the plan has gone through three phases over the past 2 years, Research, Investigation, and Development. During the Research phase, staff along with expert consultants reviewed how Brampton’s climate has changed over the past 75 years. During the investigation phase the team solicited external expertise along with stakeholder engagement to define future climate scenarios, assess climate risks, and identify prioritized climate adaptation actions. The plan also includes financial cost analysis of those actions compared to doing nothing. Finally, the plan outlines performance targets, collaborative implementation approaches, and a framework for monitoring and reporting.

The plan identifies 6 Goals, 5 Themes, 15 Objectives with 55 supporting actions.

Climate Ready Brampton Vision

“Brampton will be a climate leader fostering resilient, low-carbon, and adaptable communities, with thriving natural systems, climate-ready infrastructure, and a robust economy that advances equity, innovation, and quality of life both now and for future generations”.

Climate Ready Brampton Goals

1. Brampton is adaptable to predicted climate change impacts using best available science and climate data,
2. Climate action will prioritize the most vulnerable people, communities, and places in the City,
3. Climate resilience is the new normal where city staff, partners, neighbourhoods and generations work to protect each other,
4. Climate change preparation adaptation occurs within the context of a robust economy,
5. Climate resilience actions become more efficient and effective through collaboration and strong partnerships,
6. Progress is transparently reported against clear, measurable targets.

Climate Ready Brampton Themes and Objectives

1. Collaborative Leadership,
   • Brampton will be a leader in climate resilience
   • Municipal staff are prepared, informed and have all required tools
2. Protected and Connected People,
   • Equity-deserving groups are prioritized,
   • Moving around the city is safe and simple in all conditions,
   • People are prepared for climate disasters through emergency planning
3. Resilient Infrastructure and Buildings
   • Essential infrastructure is resilient
   • Community is safe in their daily life,
   • Buildings and homes are climate proof
4. Resilient and Healthy Natural Systems,
   • Naturalized spaces help protect Brampton from climate impacts
   • Natural systems are healthy and intact
5. Community Involvement and Communication
   • Brampton is prepared for climate emergencies
   • Emergency communications keep the community safe
   • The community is involved in climate action

The 55 actions are assigned to each of the objectives noted above. They cover different aspects from addressing climate risk, to protection and enhancement of forests and wetlands. Here a just a few examples:

• Hiring a Climate Risk Officer,
• Staff training on climate adaptation strategies and risk assessment,
• Climate emergency preparedness training,
• Creating a climate toolkit for businesses,
• Vector-borne disease management,
• Extreme weather traffic impact notification system,
• Shading standards for public spaces including bike parking and bus stops,
• Tree planting and natural cover target including survivability rates
• Heat management plan for public events
• Development of an urban agriculture strategy
• Look for opportunities to acquire additional land for greenspace
• Enhanced building codes for energy efficiency and resilience to severe weather,
• Minimize hard surface ground cover that impedes water absorption,
• Provide flood plain models to assess flood risk,
• Implement emergency water supply program

Please visit the City’s website for more information and to download the draft plan. Provide your comments to growgreen@brampton.ca by January 15th.