An initiative to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions has made the City of Dauphin a trailblazer in Manitoba.
Dauphin is the first city in the province to become Climate Smart Certified, according to Director of Public Works & Operations Bill Brenner.
“What we’re looking at doing is managing the city’s operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.”
Three years of tracking emissions at city-run facilities have enabled city staff to develop a GHG reduction plan, which was submitted and approved — making Dauphin ‘Climate Smart Certified’.
“Compared to the 2017 baseline, the City of Dauphin has reduced emissions by 18%,” says the report from Climate Smart.
“In conversation with council, we plan to continue with the reduction plan and will continue each year to further look at our GHG emissions.”
Brenner explains the City will initially focus on the low-hanging fruit:
- Idling policies with city vehicles and equipment
- New controls with HVAC systems
- SMART thermostats for the CIty’s smaller buildings to reduce GHG emissions associated with using natural gas and propane for heating.
Brenner says one of the greatest potential reductions in GHG emissions by the City of Dauphin would involve acquiring an electric garbage truck.
“Whether or not that can happen this year is still up in the air because they’re not generally available yet — but it would be a huge drop in GHG emissions if we could get that electric garbage truck.”
Brenner credits Steve Sobering for starting the city on this journey, who formerly worked as the energy manager. Sobering enrolled the City in the Climate Smart process and started the process of collecting data.
The Director of Public Works also credited Dauphin Recreation Services general manager Ryan Vanderheyden for having done “a tremendous job collecting GHG emission data for buildings”.
Brenner says the Climate Smart report will soon be on the City’s website.
