The City of Selkirk has reported its 2023 corporate and community Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions to council in accordance with its Greenhouse Gas Accountability Bylaw.
The bylaw, which came into effect in 2021, mandates the tracking and reporting of Selkirk’s corporate and community GHG emissions using internationally recognized standards, sets new GHG reduction targets that are consistent with Canada’s national targets and the global effort to keep the climate increase to just 1.5 degrees or less, and establishes a financial framework which clearly and transparently ensures the city can meet the targets.
The emissions are reported to both council and the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), an international organization that tracks emission reduction progress at the city level.
Selkirk is amongst the smallest communities in the world that are reporting via the CDP, one of only two communities in Manitoba.
Reducing our carbon footprint and saving dollars
“We know that climate change is occurring and at the City of Selkirk we’re working to reduce our carbon footprint and we’re doing it in several different and cost-effective ways,” said Mayor Larry Johannson.
“Our new wastewater treatment plant operates fossil fuel-free; we have geo-thermal heating at the water plant and we’re switching our fleet to electric and each of these moves helps the city lower its corporate GHG emissions. Efforts like this reduce our GHGs, but also our long-term operational costs. We’re saving dollars and we’re reducing our carbon footprint.”
The city’s reporting is divided into two categories – community and corporate. Community includes emissions from community electricity, fuel consumption and emissions from solid waste disposal while corporate includes emissions that are a result of assets directly owned and operated by the city. The emissions inventory of both categories is compiled using GHG Protocol Standards, the most current and widely recognized standard for reporting GHG emissions nationally.
Driving results through accountability
Selkirk CAO Duane Nicol said the annual reporting of GHG emissions is a key outcome of Selkirk’s innovative Greenhouse Gas Accountability By-law, because it provides the city with a tool to measure progress.
“What is measured is managed. By tracking and reporting on our GHG emissions, we offer a transparent look into how the city is performing in its efforts to meet citizen’s expectations of reducing our carbon footprint. It’s about accountability and driving results,” Nicol said.
Nicol also said that reporting GHG emissions publicly using international standards is aligned with Selkirk’s economic development efforts.
“Our reporting demonstrates our commitment to sustainability, which is a market signal for companies looking to do business in places that help them reduce their environmental footprint. Our reports make it clear that just by doing business in Selkirk, you are reducing your carbon footprint. That’s also true for families. Just by living in Selkirk, you are taking climate action. It’s just another benefit of choosing Selkirk.”
Reporting of GHG emissions aligns with the city’s Community Strategic Plan, which calls for the city to improve city practices and services and help citizens to make good choices.
“Our reports make it clear that just by doing business in Selkirk, you are reducing your carbon footprint. Just by living in Selkirk, you are taking climate action.
Duane Nicol, Chief Administrative Officer
For corporate reporting, the city reviewed its GHG inventories from 2016 to 2023.
Selkirk’s total corporate emissions for 2023 were 957 tonnes CO2e, down from the first year the city began recording emissions in 2016 – the total that year was 1,029 tonnes. The peak year for CO2e emissions was 2018 with 1,133 tonnes recorded. From 2018 to 2023, the city recorded a reduction of 15.5% or 3.1% per year. From 2016 to 2023, the recorded reduction is 7% or 1% per year.
The largest decline in corporate GHG emissions was a 12% decline from 2019 to 2020, primarily due to operational changes during the Covid-19 pandemic. Since that time, however, emissions have remained about the same, an indication the city’s efforts, including operational changes, energy retrofits and the purchase of electric vehicles to replace gas vehicles that have aged out, are resulting in a sustainable reduction of GHG emissions.
Taking action to reduce emissions
“The city has made efforts to further reduce emissions by converting all of its urban forestry equipment to electric,” said Mihali Schindle, the city’s Manager of Climate Action and Environmental Services.
“The urban forestry team now utilizes electric chainsaws, pole saws, hedge trimmers, and leaf blowers for forestry operations. Most equipment of this kind has been previously powered by two-stroke combustion engines, which are extremely fuel-inefficient and emit large amounts of GHG emissions.”
Fluctuations in GHG emissions can occur annually due to environmental factors, new infrastructure and operational changes.
The city of Selkirk has acquired new infrastructure from 2016 on, including the Render well and pumphouse (2017), Selkirk Park lift station (2021), new wastewater treatment plant (2021), firehall addition (2019), west end lift station (2021), the Garry Theatre (2021), the former Ackland Granger Building (2019), and the former Beaver Bus Lines building (2022), as well as a total of 20 new fleet vehicles including three electric compact SUVs, two electric trucks, two hybrid SUVs and five transit vehicles, one being a hybrid bus (2016-2024).
Nicol said that the additions of facilities, fleet, and equipment significantly increased the city’s demand for energy, specifically in cases where the city purchased existing buildings with older heating and cooling systems.
“Despite adding thousands of additional square feet to the city’s facility inventory, the city has been able to reduce our GHG emissions through efforts like retrofitting the water treatment plant with an innovative ground-sourced heat pump using the existing wells we use for drinking water. There is more to come. Not only are we reducing our emissions, but we are reducing our long-term operating costs. Also, when we switch fuels from imported fossil gas to Manitoba made electricity, we’re helping to keep more dollars in Manitoba and support local economic development.”
Future goals and the path to net zero emissions
The city’s goal is to reach net zero GHG emissions by 2030. To do this the city will need to reduce or offset its emissions by 16.7% each year. The best way to achieve this will be to reduce or eliminate fossil fuel use in city buildings, continue to switch to electric vehicles, and quantify and analyze future carbon sequestration from newly-planted trees.
In accordance with the GHG Accountability Bylaw, the city calculates the cost it would incur to purchase carbon credits to offset its annual corporate emissions and puts these funds into the GHG Reduction Reserve. Leading up to 2030, the city will use this reserve to help fund projects that reduce the city’s GHG emissions. Following 2030, these funds will be used to purchase carbon offsets that bring city operations to a net-zero impact.
“Essentially the bylaw creates a made-in-Selkirk carbon offset program, where we’re keeping those offset dollars in Selkirk to get our emissions as low as feasible before 2030,” Nicol said.
Selkirk’s community emissions for 2023 were 133,848 tonnes CO2e, an average increase of 1.3% annually from 2020 to 2023. There was a decrease of 6.7% from 2020 to 2021, likely due to the pandemic and an increase of 13% in 2022, likely due to a return to normal activities following the pandemic.
The breakdown of community emissions by sector shows transportation contributing 52%, industrial operations 28%, commercial operations 11%, residential 7% and waste 1%.
To reach net zero by 2050 the community emissions need to be reduced by 3.8% annually.
“Selkirk is a growing city, so we expect to see community emissions going up. Our goal over time is to keep those increases to a minimum and eventually see them coming down as governments and the marketplace make it possible for people to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. Municipalities have a very limited role in community emissions, but where we can have an impact, Selkirk is already working at it. Things like providing effective public transportation and building communities that make it easier to adopt active transportation like cycling and walking, are all strategies that Selkirk is employing,” Nicol said.
In accordance with the city’s GHG Accountability Bylaw, funds will be allocated to the GHG Reduction Reserve, based on results of the annual Community GHG inventory, beginning in 2030.
