Selkirk council told city reduced GHG emissions

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The City of Selkirk reported its corporate and community Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions dropped for 2023.

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Corporate emissions for 2023 were recorded as 957 tonnes, down from 1,029 tonnes in 2016 when the city began recording emissions.

According to data, the “peak year” for corporate emissions in Selkirk was in 2018 at 1,133 tonnes. Between 2018 and 2023, the city reports a reduction of 15.5%, or 3.1% per year, in total corporate GHG emissions.

Selkirk’s community emissions for 2023 were 133,848 tonnes; an average increase of 1.3% annually from 2020 to 2023.

Selkirk’s Greenhouse Gas Accountability Bylaw currently mandates the tracking and reporting of Selkirk’s GHG emissions using “internationally recognized standards.”

The bylaw also sets GHG reduction targets for the city that officials say are consistent with Canada’s national targets, and with the “global effort to keep the climate increase to just 1.5 degrees or less.”

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As per the bylaw, total emissions in Selkirk are reported to both city council and the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), an international organization that tracks emission reduction progress in cities.

“Selkirk is amongst the smallest communities in the world that are reporting via the CDP, and one of only two communities in Manitoba,” the city stated in a release.

Selkirk Mayor Larry Johannson said the bylaw also establishes a “financial framework,” which ensures the city can meet climate targets “clearly and transparently.”

“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,” Johannson states in a media release.

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The city has been taking steps in recent years to greatly reduce their use of fossil fuels. Upgrades include the city’s drinking water plant’s conversion to a geothermal heating and cooling system in June of 2023 which produces zero GHG emissions.

In 2021 the city also completed the construction of a brand-new wastewater plant that treats all the city’s wastewater while using zero fossil fuels in its operations. The urban forestry team now uses only electric chainsaws, pole saws, hedge trimmers, and leaf blowers, and the city is currently working towards converting their entire fleet of city vehicles to electric.

“Each of these moves helps the city lower its corporate GHG emissions,” Johannson said. “Efforts like this reduce our GHGs, but also our long-term operational costs. We’re saving dollars and we’re reducing our carbon footprint.”

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Selkirk CAO Duane Nicol said the tracking of emissions is a key aspect of the bylaw. “What is measured is managed,” Nicol said. “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.”

— Dave Baxter is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Winnipeg Sun. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

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