Our partners are taking action against climate change in the region. Known as the Integrated Community Energy and Climate Action Plans (ICECAP), GBBR is helping area Councils and their communities mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and build resilience by adapting to a changing climate.
The ICECAP is a partnership between the Municipalities and First Nations located in the Georgian Bay Biosphere region for the purpose of a collaborative, more cost-effective approach to energy management and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
All area Councils and their communities in the biosphere region have been invited to participate.
- Chimnissing/ Beausoleil First Nation
- Dokis First Nation
- Henvey Inlet First Nation
- Magnetawan First Nation
- Moose Deer Point First Nation
- Shawanaga First Nation
- Town of Parry Sound
- Township of Carling
- Township of Georgian Bay
- Township of McDougall
- Township of McKellar
- Township of Seguin
- Township of the Archipelago
- Township of Whitestone
- Wahta Mohawk First Nation
- Wasauksing First Nation
- Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory
ICECAP Objectives
- Encourage the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
- Improve energy efficiency
- Reduce the use of fossil fuels
- Adapt to a changing climate by building greater resilience
Mitigation and Adaptation
There are two approaches to taking climate action. These approaches are referred to as mitigation and adaptation, and while they can be undertaken individually, the best results are seen when combined.
Mitigation refers to actions that reduce the amount of GHGs being released into the atmosphere. Adaptation refers to actions that reduce vulnerabilities to the effects of climate change. Mitigation reduces the severity of future climate change impacts, while adaptation increases our resilience when those climate change impacts happen.
Regional GHG Emissions
One of the first steps of ICECAP is the development of a baseline GHG emissions inventory. These baselines measure the amount of GHG emissions produced by each Council’s internal operations and their community’s daily activities. For the purposes of ICECAP, emissions from Council operations are referred to as corporate emissions, and the emissions produced by homes, businesses, and institutions are referred to as community emissions.
Establishing a baseline of GHG emissions is a useful tool to identify opportunities for reducing emissions, and to inform the development of a GHG reduction action plan. Both steps help to estimate cost savings from emissions reductions, and serve as a reference point to track improvements over time. A lot of information goes into calculating a GHG emissions baseline including: population statistics, information relating to the type, amount, and how energy is being used.
Residential, Commercial, Institutional, and Industrial Buildings
- Electricity
- Natural Gas
- Propane
- Fuel Oil
Transportation
- Gasoline
- Diesel
- Vehicle fuel efficiency
- Annual distance traveled
Streetlights, Water Treatment, and other Infrastructure
- Electricity
- Natural gas
- Propane
- Fuel Oil
Waste
- Amount of waste being produced
- What is being thrown away
- Landfill emissions technology
Overview of Total Regional GHG Emissions (percent)*
It is common for corporate emissions to represent a small percentage of a rural region’s GHG emissions. This means that each community’s efforts to take action on climate change can have a big impact. To measure and track your own efforts, it is important to know how much GHG emissions you produce and where those emissions are coming from.
