Charlottetown residents provide feedback on city's Climate Action Plan
CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Chris Guindon of Charlottetown is concerned about the future of P.E.I.’s capital city.
That’s why he was one of about 34 residents who attended a special event at the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre on June 25.
Put on by the City of Charlottetown, it was a chance for residents to provide feedback on the city’s upcoming Climate Action Plan.
“It’s something that will affect us all and the next generation, and I’m concerned for my kids on what the city might look like in 20, 30, 40 years from now. It’s undeniably going to affect everyone on a personal or economic level, everybody has a role to play in,” Guindon told SaltWire.
“As a resident in Charlottetown, climate change and my concerns are important to me.”
Purpose of survey
Katrina Cristall, the city’s climate action officer, said the survey will guide future work to make the community more resilient to climate change's effects and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).
“We know that extreme weather events will become more frequent and intense. We will see an increase in temperatures, heat waves and sea level rise, which will ruin our coastline,” she said.
“We hope for a good turnout and want to hear from everybody. We want to understand what people are concerned about, what impacts they and others will be most affected by, and what they would like to see the city do about it.”
Public concerns
Cristall said much of what she heard from the public was about natural disasters and greenhouse gas emissions.
“There’s a lot of concern regarding our greenhouse gas emissions and how we reduce those by looking at behavioural patterns within the community. I think people are largely aware and engaged on this matter, especially after hurricane Fiona,” Cristall said.
For those looking for more information, the Climate Action Plan survey is available online. Residents of Charlottetown can anticipate a draft of the plan to be released in late fall 2024, accompanied by further opportunities for public engagement.
Guindon, who works with the P.E.I. Invasive Species Council, said he is interested in what the city had to offer. He also thinks more Islanders need to engage in the fight against climate change.
“I work in environment conservation, so I see the effects first-hand. Climate change affects the spread of invasive species; it weakens our ecosystem as a result of the spread of invasive species and climate change contributing to range expansion,” he said.
Yutaro Sasaki is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter, a position funded by the federal government. He can be reached by email at Yutaro.Sasaki@saltwire.com.
Yutaro Sasaki, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Guardian
