Climate Action

We are pleased to post the following survey that relates directly to the Climate Change Policy Direction paper.  The survey will take approximately five (5) to 10 minutes to complete and by answering this survey, you will help us focus our efforts on what matter most to you, as we continue to update our Regional Official Plan. The survey will be online until February 28, 2021.

A key piece of the Climate Change Policy Direction paper presents statements about our desired future for how we move, how we live and work, and how we build. This survey will focus on these three (3) areas and the changes we need to make to achieve them. To help you understand how the desired futures, changes and policy directions are connected, we’ve created summary placemats for how we move, how we live and work and how we build. 

To provide a bit more context for the survey, the Climate Change Policy Direction paper explores the following key messages: 

1. Climate change is global problem with local causes and local solutions;
2. The Regional Official Plan (ROP) is a key document for directing local action on climate change;
3. The current ROP Review, which plans to 2051, provides an opportunity to align with the Region’s Green House Gas (GHG) reduction target of 80% by 2050;
4. Since land use and infrastructure locks in the amount of carbon a community uses, land use and infrastructure planning that is energy efficient and resilient to the impacts of climate change are essential to achieve this target;
5. Our current land use and transportation systems are energy inefficient and account for approximately 50% of GHG emissions;
6. The policy direction paper provides desired futures for how we move, how we live and work, and how build along with the “Big Moves” or changes needed to achieve the desired future and associated policies directions to implement them. (e.g., increasing intensification, providing for transit supportive densities in the Designated Greenfield Area);
7. Climate action is a lens that we will be putting on all of the work associated with the ROP Review; and,
8. Proposes policy directions related to our transportation system, growth, complete communities, net-zero carbon buildings, and energy resiliency.

If, after completing the survey, you have any more feedback or thoughts on climate change and potential Regional policy direction, we're also happy to accept any feedback through the email address RegionalOfficialPlanReview@regionofwaterloo.ca or by mail at Community Planning Division (ROPR), 150 Frederick Street, 8th Floor, Kitchener, Ontario, N2G 4J3.  We will use any comments or feedback to help draft policy regarding climate change to be integrated throughout the Regional Official Plan (ROP).