ENVIROCOLLECTIVE

November Highlights

What is COP 29, what does it mean, and who attends?

2024 Regina Civic Election

Congratulations to the new City Council. During the election EnviroCollective Network, in collaboration with Regina Energy Transition, Regina Citizens Public Transit Coalition, and Better Bus Youth, ECN gathered questions from each group, compiled and distributed a brief survey to candidates. The survey focused on the City of Regina’s commitments to sustainability and environmental stewardship as outlined in the Energy and Sustainability Framework. We are pleased to say the the majority of new councillors responded to the survey.

Luther College info Session

EnviroCollective attended the COP 29 Info Session. ECN received a shout out from organizers for the work with the various faculty's on Sustainable Development Goals

Plastic People

ECN attended the screening of "A Hidden Crisis of Microplastics," a feature documentary exploring humanity's complex relationship with plastic and one woman's mission to reveal the impact of microplastics on human health. The screening aimed to raise awareness about these health impacts and encourage community discussion. The department of Geography and Environmental Studies reached out to local key community organizers to join them and engage in important dialogue after the film.

Bayfield Ontario Becomes Plastic Free

In the UK, Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) engaged over 500 communities in the “Plastic Free” programme. The work of Bayfield was recognized and it became the first community in North American to be designated “Plastic Free” by SAS.

This recognition brought attention to the Bayfield achievements. Over the course of 2019,Blue Bayfield travelled Ontario and western Canada sharing its experience. Multiple communities developed similar programmes based on the Bayfield model.

Something to think about:

Plastics

Countries are currently gathering in South Korea with the aim of agreeing a new legally binding pact for reducing plastic pollution. Plastics account for 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon Brief analysis found that, if negotiators fail to agree on such a treaty, plastics could take up half the remaining “carbon budget” for keeping temperatures to 1.5C (see “projected emissions” on the chart above). Conversely, if the world strikes an agreement to reduce plastic production by 40% by 2040, relative to 2025 levels – as proposed by Ottawa, Rwanda and Peru earlier this year – plastics would emit 52bn tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2050.

What is COP

COP stands for the Conference of the Parties. It's an annual meeting organized by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The COP brings together representatives from nearly every country in the world to discuss and negotiate actions to combat climate change.

Brief History of COP Conferences:

• 1992: The UNFCCC was established, and the first COP meeting was held in Berlin, Germany - UNFCCC](https://unfccc.int/process/bodies/supreme-bodies/conference-of-the-parties-cop).
• 1997: COP 3 in Kyoto, Japan, led to the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol, which set binding emission reduction targets for developed countries - UNFCCC](https://unfccc.int/process/bodies/supreme-bodies/conference-of-the-parties-cop).
• 2015: COP 21 in Paris resulted in the Paris Agreement, aiming to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.
• 2021: COP 26 in Glasgow focused on enhancing commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and addressing climate finance - UNFCCC](https://unfccc.int/process/bodies/supreme-bodies/conference-of-the-parties-cop).
• 2022: COP 27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, emphasized the need for urgent action and support for vulnerable countries.
• 2024: COP 29 held in Baku, Azerbaijan, focused on securing climate finance and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The conference brought together nearly 200 countries to address the urgent challenge of climate change. Key outcomes included a breakthrough agreement to triple public finance to developing countries, from $100 billion to $300 billion annually by 2035, and efforts to scale up finance to $1.3 trillion per year by 2035. The conference focused on climate finance, transitioning away from fossil fuels, and building resilient communities.

These conferences are crucial for global climate action, as they set the stage for international cooperation and policy-making to address the climate crisis.

Solar Encouragement - by Ryan

Excerpt from presentation

Learn more about ReThink BioClean from NACCA’s (National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association) interview with Dawn Rossignol. See the interview

Dawn Rossignol and her husband, Philip, owners of ReThink BioClean Sales and Service in Regina, Sask, are making waves with their sustainable business practices. Recently showcased by the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association, their company is dedicated to reducing plastic waste and supporting environmental responsibility. ReThink BioClean not only recycles 85% of their plastics but also offers a free service for collecting and recycling commercial chemical containers, even from non-clients. Transitioning from a COVID-19 PPE business, they now provide refillable cleaning agents and supplies, promoting a zero-waste model. Their innovative approach has garnered over 400 accounts across Saskatchewan and Ontario, highlighting their commitment to eco-friendly solutions. Their story exemplifies United Nations Sustainable Goal #9

United Nations

We’ll share one sustainable development goal in each upcoming newsletter

Community Activist Profile:

Dr Amber Fletcher

DR Fletcher at UofR information session on United Nations Climate Change conference COP 29

Dr. Amber Fletcher is Professor of Sociology and Academic Director of the Community Engagement and Research Centre (CERC) at the University of Regina. Her research examines how gender and social inequality shape the lived experience of climate disaster (flooding, drought, and wildfire) in rural Canada. Dr. Fletcher is a contributing author to a 2019 special report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). She has served as a consultant to the United Nations World Water Assessment Programme, as an official delegate to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, and is former President of the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women. Dr Fletcher was part of the Regina contingent that attended COP 29 in Azerbaijan

Resource Feature:

The 6th National Climate League Report

The National Climate League (NCL) report is an annual, volunteer-driven data collection project developed by The Climate Reality Project Canada. It provides a comprehensive analysis of climate plans, targets, policies, and programs for municipalities across Canada. The report tracks the performance of over 50 cities and towns based on various climate, sustainability, and social justice indicators. The goal is to highlight local solutions, encourage transparency and accountability, and support municipalities in their efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Over the year ECN will break down key findings and where does Regina fit in the mix

Policy Indicators for the City of Regina

Climate

CLIMATE PLAN

Does the municipality have a climate plan?

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

How detailed is the implementation strategy?

EQUITY

Does the climate plan take an equity lens?

PROGRESS REPORT

What year was the last progress report?

NET-ZERO TARGET

Is the 2050 target aligned with climate science?

RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGET

Has a renewable energy target been established?

RECENT GHG INVENTORY

When was the last GHG inventory conducted?

REGULAR GHG INVENTORIES

Is the update frequency indicated?

ADAPTATION PLAN

Is there a plan and does it take an equity lens?

CITIZENS’ ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Is there an advisory committee on climate that includes representation from residents?

CLIMATE LEVY

Is there a climate levy in place for raising

revenue that is dedicated to climate initiatives?

Buildings

FOSSIL FUEL PHASE-OUT

Has a target been set for phasing out fossil fuels from new buildings? Have bylaws been implemented preventing new buildings from using fossil fuels?

GREEN BUILDING STANDARD

Has a standard been implemented that sets energy efficiency requirements for new buildings? If not, is creating a standard an action item?

RETROFIT PROGRAM

Does the municipality have a retrofit program?

Transportation



MODE-SHARE TARGET

What are the mode share targets for sustainable

transportation?

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN

Is there a plan in place?

COMPLETE STREETS

Is a Complete Streets approach mentioned in active transportation plans? Has a Complete Streets guideline or standard been developed?

LOW-INCOME TRANSIT PASS

Is there a low-income transit pass?

COMMUNITY EV PLAN

Is there a plan community electric vehicle (EV) plan? Does it include measures for installing charging stations in multi-unit buildings?

In the News

Amazon hits plastic air pillow replacement goal

Amazon announced it has removed all plastic air pillows from delivery packaging at its global fulfillment centers, replacing them with paper filler. | Photo courtesy of Amazon

Canadian Postal Union

Ready to Re-Invent themselves

CUPW presented a few years back at an ECN community event. The Union was quite aware that the postal service needed to be re-invented if was to be viable in the future. The president at the time discussed Postal Banking with EV Charging: CUPW’s Rural Innovation Proposal. The following is an excerpt from their website.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) is advocating for postal banking in rural areas, combining traditional banking services with electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at Canada Post locations. The plan aims to address banking deserts in rural communities while supporting Canada’s transition to a low-carbon economy.

Postal banking would offer accessible financial services, such as loans and deposits, in underserved areas. Adding EV chargers aligns with Canada Post’s sustainability goals and enhances green infrastructure. CUPW emphasizes this dual-purpose model as a step toward economic inclusion and environmental responsibility, revitalizing rural communities and reducing their carbon footprint. Read More

Demolishing buildings is a waste.

There's another way: deconstruction

Deconstruction is environmentally friendly because it reduces waste by salvaging and reusing building materials. This process minimizes landfill use, conserves natural resources, and lowers the carbon footprint associated with manufacturing new materials. Additionally, it supports sustainable practices and can create jobs in the recycling and repurposing industries.

Photo and story by Emily Chung · CBC News · Posted: Nov 17, 2024 3:00 AM CST | Last Updated: November 28

Harley-Davidson goes Electric

Click this link to read more at New Atlas

Tips, Tricks, Hacks & Accolades:



From our inbox

Candidate Feedback: I just want to share my appreciation of the way the EnviroCollective has adopted a fair and democratic approach to presenting candidates actual responses to questionnaires. 

Some community organizations have just declared their #1 favourite answer. i think that what you are doing is more fair and democratic. 

I appreciate your fair approach. Thank you.

Joanne Crofford

Candidate for Ward 1

Candidate Feedback: Thank you to the EnviroCollective for taking an active role in the recent civic election. It’s important what you did. I am looking upon my run through a learning lens. Within that context, if there is anything you can share with me about my responses to your survey, that would be helpful. I’d like to know if how I viewed the City of Regina's Energy and Sustainability Framework had relevance to your organization. Bill Pratt Mayoralty Candidate

Reply from ECN: Thanks for reaching out. At EnviroCollective, our primary role is to serve as an information hub. With numerous environmental and climate action groups across the city and province, we took on the task of becoming a center for information sharing and networking. We noticed many small groups were eager to send out surveys, so we invited them to submit their questions to us. This allowed us to use our resources to combine and streamline the questions into a single, straightforward survey, which we then distributed.

Our role was strictly non-partisan; we did not endorse or recommend any particular candidate. We simply shared the responses with all the groups so they could make their own informed decisions. 

We received some great feedback from candidates on the quality and integrity of our survey which we will publish in our next e-Newsletter. Like yourself we are always looking for feedback on how we did and how we can improve. 

(At ECN, we genuinely value the feedback and the willingness to engage in self-reflection. Our mission aligns with this, as we constantly evaluate how society interacts with the environment and ask ourselves: Can we do better?)

You have a story? Let us know, we need to pass on the good news!

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