The Prince Edward Island government has released its plan for getting the province to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.
The detailed plan follows the announcement of the target last fall, The Canadian Press reports.
Canada’s latest greenhouse gas emissions inventory shows PEI accounting for 1.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2019, a tiny fraction of the 730 megatonnes produced across the country.
In a statement last week, Environment Minister Steven Myers said the goal is ambitious but can be reached. The province will release a series of five-year plans that will include interim emission reduction targets.
The plan focuses on six pillars, CBC writes:
• Transforming the way Islanders move;
• Making new and existing buildings more energy-efficient;
• Aligning agriculture to the net-zero target;
• Removing carbon through forestry, technology, and “emerging opportunities”;
• Creating a “clean industry and waste advantage”;
• Using “leadership and engagement” to inspire change.
With transportation accounting for 44% or PEI’s greenhouse gas emissions, “the province said it will reduce reliance on passenger vehicles and transition to zero-emission vehicles and non-emitting fuel sources,” CBC says. “It plans to invest in active transportation routes across the province, expand the use and availability of affordable and dependable public transit in rural and urban areas, and develop alternative transportation solutions, such as car-sharing programs.”
The opening segment of this report was first published by The Canadian Press on February 17, 2022.
