Guest opinion
By Special Committee on Climate Change
What should P.E.I. do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
This is the central question facing the special committee on climate change. We have been directed by the legislative assembly to explore options available for the province to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We must engage Islanders and government in considering options, and make fully costed recommendations on how the province can best meet its reduction targets.
The main target, as set by the Climate Leadership Act, is that the Island’s annual GHG emissions be reduced to 1.2 megatonnes (Mt) per year by 2030. That represents a 40 per cent reduction below 2005 levels. We are part-way there, but an additional 0.32 Mt reduction will need to be achieved to get to 1.2 Mt in time.
Powering a typical detached single-family home for seven months would produce about one tonne of carbon dioxide, the most abundant GHG (one megatonne = 1,000,000 tonnes). The additional provincial annual reduction to be achieved is 320,000 tonnes. It’s an ambitious target, and it needs to be. The intergovernmental panel on climate change has recommended that global warming be kept within the range of 1.5 degrees Celsius over this century. Increased warming beyond that will significantly boost the risk of the destructive effects of climate change, such as ecosystem loss, flooding, and drought. A limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius can only be achieved if urgent action is taken within 10 years. P.E.I.’s GHG reduction target is in keeping with that global target.
There are many ways to reduce GHG emissions across all components of society, such as improvements to sustainable transportation, energy efficient infrastructure, transitioning to renewable fuels, carbon pricing, tree planting, and more. It is important to consider P.E.I.’s particular emissions mix: 47 per cent of our emissions come from transportation; agriculture and buildings account for 23 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively; and industry and waste account for less than 10 per cent each (2017 figures). The directive to our committee stresses that the province should adopt reduction efforts that are cost-effective and, to the extent possible, less burdensome on Islanders and businesses.
The point of reducing GHG emissions is to mitigate the effects of climate change. Due to human activity to date, climate change has already happened and will continue to happen. We need mitigation to keep it from becoming intolerably worse. We also need to plan for what we can no longer prevent, which is the adaptation side of the equation. Our committee is directed to focus on GHG reduction, but many efforts may have dual benefits. Making structures more energy efficient (mitigation) and better able to withstand extreme weather events (adaptation) is one example.
As a committee, we have heard from experts and government, and will continue to do so to properly inform ourselves. The GHG reduction effort must be across many sectors, involving people across society. Reduction efforts are more likely to succeed if citizens have input, if they are community-supported, and if there is a visible benefit to those involved.
So, the committee asks Islanders, what should P.E.I. do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? Other questions naturally flow from this, such as which efforts would be most cost-effective? Why are they more likely to succeed? Do they address our most GHG-intensive areas? And more. Please tell us what you think, and why. Attend the committee’s meetings at the legislature and in Island communities to hear what experts and fellow Islanders have to say. Share your views with the committee at a meeting or get in touch via the details below.
Please don’t delay. Ten years to get on target may seem like plenty of time. For the level of cross-societal effort this will take, it is hardly enough. We are at the input stage, but we need to turn that input into action as soon as possible to close the gap between where we are and where we need to be.
Special Committee on Climate Change
Lynne Lund (Chair), MLA for District 21: Summerside-Wilmot
Sonny Gallant, MLA for District 24: Evangeline-Miscouche
Stephen Howard, MLA for District 22: Summerside-South Drive
Sidney MacEwen, MLA for District 7: Morell-Donagh
Hal Perry, MLA for District 27: Tignish-Palmer Road
Brad Trivers, MLA for District 18: Rustico-Emerald
To share your views with the committee:
- Email: [email protected]
- Mail: Special Committee on Climate Change, Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island, PO Box 2000, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8; or
- Fax: 902-368-5175
- See assembly.pe.ca/ClimateChangeCommittee for the committee’s meeting schedule
