Climate Change

Greater Peterborough Area Partners for Climate Protection

Trent Lakes is a proud member of the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program, a network of over 450 municipalities committed to taking action on climate change.

In partnership with Sustainable Peterborough a Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) was developed for the Greater Peterborough Area (GPA). The overall objective of the Greater Peterborough Area Climate Change Action Plan is to reduce our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, reduce the use of fossil fuels, lower our energy consumption, and adapt to our changing climate. The plan has identified goals, actions, and emissions reduction targets that fit with and address the unique needs of each Municipal and First Nation partner, and prepare communities for present and expected changes that will occur as a result of climate change.

Through our membership with the program, we have access to resources such as tools, guides and networking events to help us reduce local greenhouse gas emissions at the corporate and community level.

PCP is managed and delivered by ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI Canada) and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and receives financial support from the Government of Canada and ICLEI Canada.

Milestone Framework

As part of our commitment with the program, Trent Lakes was required to progress through each of the five-step Partners for Climate Protection Milestone Framework.

The five milestones are:

• Milestone 1: Creating a baseline emissions inventory
• Milestone 2: Setting an emissions reduction target
• Milestone 3: Developing a local climate action plan
• Milestone 4: Implementing a local climate action plan
• Milestone 5: Monitoring and reporting results

Trent Lakes reached Milestone 5 

We’re proud to announce our latest accomplishment: reaching Milestone 5 of the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program’s Milestone Framework. The Milestone Framework helps us take action against climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Moving through these five milestones allowed our municipality to save money, improve air quality, create jobs, improve residents’ health and more.

The end isn’t near though. Milestone 5 is a fluid and ongoing commitment to reviewing and monitoring our efforts to continually improve

 and progress actions to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and support achieving our climate goals.

Monitoring under helps us determine whether our initiatives are working and whether we’ll meet our target. We can use the data we’ve collected to evaluate and adjust our activities. We can also use reporting to connect with stakeholders and funders to solidify support for future initiatives.

Chapter 10: Trent Lakes Climate Action Plan

The overall objective of the Climate Action Plan is to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions through a reduction in fossil fuel use and lowering our energy consumption, and to better prepare for our changing climate. The Plan identifies strategies, actions, and emission reduction targets that fit with and address the needs of each municipality and First Nation within the Greater Peterborough Area. This regionally coordinated approach will ensure that we act together to safeguard the health of our residents and ensure the stability of our local economic and natural resources against impacts related to climate change.

Sustainable Peterborough

Sustainable Peterborough is a community based regional partnership historically comprised of community groups, businesses, educational institutions, local governments and First Nations.

In the spring of 2012 the City of Peterborough, the County of Peterborough, its eight Townships, including the Municipality of Trent Lakes, and the two First Nations adopted the Greater Peterborough Area Community Sustainability Plan.  Oversight of the Plan is by the Sustainable Peterborough Coordinating Committee, an advisory committee to local government. Sustainable Peterborough has been operating under the auspices of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) since its inception in 2012, and a recent governance review has led to the mutually supported decision that the relationship continue.