Climate Action Plan

Have you heard? The City of Burlington is launching Better Homes Burlington, a pilot program to help homeowners with the installation of an air source heat pump. The City is offering zero percent loans up to $10,000 for up to 20 homeowners.

Why consider an air source heat pump? Heat pumps….

• Provide both heating and cooling
• Are more efficient at cooling than air conditioners
• Will reduce your carbon footprint

The Better Homes Burlington program coordinator can help you determine if you meet the eligibility requirements for the loan. And, if you’re considering a deeper energy efficiency retrofit of your home, the coordinator can also assist with information on existing incentive programs, financing options and the benefits of a Home EnerGuide Assessment.

More information can be found at burlington.ca/betterhomes

The application process will open in September. Applications will be accepted until the end of January 2024 or when the program is fully subscribed, whichever comes first.

For more information

• Visit the burlington.ca/betterhomes webpage
• Email betterhomes@burlington.ca or
• Call 905-335-7600 ext. 7974

Better Homes Burlington is an action under the City’s community Climate Action Plan, approved by Council in 2020 following their climate emergency declaration. Burning fossil fuels to heat our homes contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. By transitioning away from the use of fossil fuels, we can reduce our collective carbon footprint.

An update report on the Climate Action Plan is going to the Environment, Infrastructure and Community Services Committee on September 15, 2022.

The purpose of this report is to provide an update on the progress of the implementation of the Climate Action Plan, providing a pathway to reduce community based greenhouse gas emissions to meet the target for Burlington to be net carbon neutral by 2050.

The related climate adaptation plan, Climate Resilient Burlington: A Plan for Adapting to Our Warmer, Wetter and Wilder Weather, was approved by Council in July (EICS-12- 22). Prior to this, staff presented the draft Climate Resilient Burlington plan in May (EICS-02-22), which was made available on getinvolvedburlington.ca/crb for public review and feedback. Burlington’s climate projections report was presented in March 2021 (EICS-03-21).

An update on the City’s Corporate Energy and Emissions Management Plan (EICS-06- 22) was presented in June, highlighting the progress to date on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from City operations (buildings and fleet) showing community leadership. The City has a target for its operations to be net carbon neutral by 2040.

• Read the Community Stakeholder Advisory Committee, Partnerships and Collaboration report
• Read the McMaster Renewable Energy Best Practice Research Report

One of the key program areas identified in the Climate Action Plan relates to increasing the use of renewable energy in our community. The City has partnered with the Engineering and Public Policy, W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology program at McMaster University to research best practices and opportunities to support the adoption of renewable energy in Burlington. As part of this research, we have a survey to determine the attitudes and experiences of Burlington residents in installing or are contemplating installing renewable energy options. The survey will take approximately 10 minutes.

For full details of the study, please read the Letter of Information provided by McMaster University.

Final report presented to the Environment, Infrastructure & Community Services Committee on March 3^rd

Staff from the City and the Centre for Climate Change Management at Mohawk College co-presented the final report on the Better Homes Burlington Home Energy Efficiency Retrofit Project to the Environment, Infrastructure & Community Services Committee on March 3^rd. Council approved staff to proceed to the next steps to develop a business case for the 2023 budget process for the resources required to support home energy efficiency loans for homeowners. The program will make available loans of up to $10,000 to cover the costs of the installation of air source heat pumps and leak sealing. The program also entails a virtual delivery centre to provide guidance to homeowners on the available measures and incentive programs to help them improve the energy efficiency of their homes and reduce their carbon footprint.

A follow up report will be presented to council in 2023 pending budget approval for the program to outline the details of the program requirements.

Final report going to the Environment, Infrastructure & Community Services Committee on March 3^rd.

Staff will present the final report on the Home Energy Efficiency Retrofit Project to the Environment, Infrastructure & Community Services Committee on March 3^rd. The city has been working in partnership with the Centre for Climate Change Management at Mohawk College on this project to assess the feasibility of developing a program to help Burlington homeowners improve the energy efficiency of their dwellings and reduce their carbon footprint. This has been identified as a priority program area under the Climate Action Plan.

The City of Burlington is pleased to announce it has received a B grade for climate action efforts from the Climate Disclosure Project (CDP). This is the first time the City has received a grade. CDP is a non-profit charity and provides a global disclosure climate action reporting platform for businesses and all levels of government.

The City reported its progress on the implementation of the community-based Climate Action Plan, the community emissions inventory and carbon reduction target. CDP awarded the City a B for its reporting, recognizing its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change.

Reporting through the CDP platform helps the City to meet its reporting requirements for the Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM), the largest global alliance for city climate leadership across the globe. The City joined GCoM in 2020 and was one of 25 Canadian municipalities to participate in Showcase Cities, a program hosted by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Partners for Climate Protection program and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability. The program was designed to support municipalities in their actions to meet the requirements of GCoM.

Did you know that 98 percent of homes built before 2017 need to be retrofitted by 2050 for the cities of Burlington and Hamilton to reach their carbon reduction goals? If you are a Burlington or Hamilton homeowner interested in learning more about energy efficiencies for your single-family home (detached, semi-detached or townhouse), register for an upcoming free Home Energy Retrofit Orientation (HERO) Program webinar to ensure you include energy efficiency as part of the renovation.

What to Expect:

• Module 1: Getting Started
  • Typical homes, energy audits, retrofit roadmaps
  • House as a system and air sealing upgrades
• Module 2: Improve Your Envelope
• Module 3: Optimize Your Mechanicals
  • Air conditioning and heating upgrades
• Module 4: Keep it Flowing
  • Hot water upgrades, reasons to renovate, next steps

Registration Details:

• Nov. 21, 2020
• 10 a.m. – noon, or
• 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
• events.eply.com/HEROProgramWebinar

Avoid disappointment and register now. There are only 50 spots available in each webinar session.

This webinar is brought to you by Humber College and Enbridge Inc., supported by the City of Burlington, City of Hamilton and the Centre for Climate Change Management at Mohawk College.

The webinar will be facilitated by Kirk Johnson and Jack Zhou. Kirk is a Sustainability Director with 17 years of experience developing sustainability programs across Canada to address capacity building, energy efficiency, and experiential learning opportunities in the built environment. Jack is a Managing Principal at A&J Energy Consultants and a well-recognized Certified Energy Advisor (CEA) for homes in Ontario, with over 10 years of experience in the industry.

For more information, please contact Adrienne Madden, Industry Partnerships Lead, Centre for Climate Change Management at Mohawk College at adrienne.madden@mohawkcollege.ca or follow @CCCMatMohawk on Twitter.

Take Action Burlington! Get motivated and empowered to take action on climate change by improving the energy efficiency of your home. Collectively we can make a difference.

The City of Burlington is among twenty-five municipalities across Canada that successfully completed an intensive pilot focusing on local climate action.

In August 2019, Burlington was selected to join the first Showcase Cities cohort led by the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) Canada. As a member of this network, the City received free support to spur climate action at a local level.

Municipalities are on the front lines of climate change, and through this pilot project which included technical support, training, exclusive networking opportunities and access to tools and resources, the City of Burlington advanced our ambitious climate action objectives.

By participating in this pilot, the City has been recognized as a leader on local climate action both nationally and internationally and has been awarded the Mitigation Badge for setting its greenhouse gas emissions reduction target and completion of the Climate Action Plan.

About Climate Action in Burlington

The City of Burlington declared a Climate Change Emergency in 2019.

In April 2020, the City followed with a Climate Action Plan that was endorsed by City Council. The Climate Action Plan represents the first phase for Burlington, with a focus on mitigating greenhouse gases (GHGs) and reducing energy consumption. The City has set a goal in its Strategic Plan to work towards being a net carbon-neutral community.

Climate Adaptation Plan

Another goal in the Strategic Plan is to develop and implement a climate adaptation plan. The City will now focus on developing a plan on climate adaptation, identifying ways for Burlington to improve its resiliency and adapt to the changing climate.

Learn more at burlington.ca/environment.

Improving the energy efficiency of your home can save money, improve home comfort and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Most homes use fossil fuels such as natural gas, oil and/or propane for thermal (heat) energy needs. Certain measures can help reduce and/or avoid the use of fossil fuels, lessening your impact on the environment.

The City of Burlington is working with the Centre for Climate Change Management at Mohawk College to develop a home energy retrofit program which will include developing a business plan for a delivery centre, assessing financing options for homeowners, and providing information sessions for homeowners. Community engagement will be part of the process, including a survey of homeowners to assess opportunities and barriers for improving energy efficiency. More information will be provided as the project progresses. In addition, the City is submitting an application to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for funding to support this initiative.

For more information and resources related to home energy efficiency retrofits, check out the Energy page at www.burlington.ca/environment.

At the Sept. 28 Burlington City Council meeting, staff’s proposal to work with the Centre for Climate Change Management at Mohawk College to develop a deep energy retrofit program was approved. Implementation of a deep energy retrofit (DER) program can help homeowners improve the energy efficiency of their home, reduce their carbon footprint and increase home comfort. A DER program will help Burlington meet its Climate Action Plan objective to become a net-carbon neutral community by 2050.

Staff will be applying to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Community Efficiency Financing initiative for a grant to support this work and will work with Mohawk College to finalize the agreement to oversee this partnership. Further details on community engagement opportunities will be available as the project progresses.

What is a Deep Energy Retrofit Program?

A deep energy retrofit program involves a systems approach to reducing carbon emissions from existing buildings, with a focus on actions that will reduce and/or eliminate the use of fossil fuels as a source of energy. Typically, there is a hierarchy of measures which can be implemented:

• Adding insulation
• Sealing air leaks
• Upgrading mechanical systems
• Replacing windows and/or doors
• Water efficiency upgrades
• Thermal controls
• Renewable energy

Depending on the work required, a deep energy retrofit can cost up to $30,000. Retrofits can be more cost-effective if timed with home renovations.

For more information and to subscribe to updates, go to burlington.ca/environment