The Town of Whitby is committed to taking action on climate change and has developed a number of plans and programs to help ensure we eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 in our corporate services and across the community by 80% by the year 2050 while also responding to multiple climate related threats to ensure Whitby can adapt to a changing climate and remain resilient.

Climate Emergency Declaration

Whitby Council  formally declared Climate Change an Emergency in 2019, this declaration recognizes the immediate need to take action to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensure the community is resilient.

Climate Change plans

The Town of Whitby is currently in the development of creating a Climate Change Plan, which will provide a framework to address both climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The Plan will de developed in 2 phases:

1. Climate Adaptation

Currently underway, the Towns Climate Adaptation Plan will identify the risks our environment a our economy and our society is faced with as a result of a changing climate. This plan will quantify these risks and identify actions that will ensure Whitby can remain resilient and continue to function and thrive in the face of future climate change events.

You can help shape the Climate Adaptation Plan by sharing your experience of different weather events through our community climate journal being led by out partners at I See Change. 

2. Climate Mitigation

Phase 2 will focus on  how Whitby will eliminate greenhouse gas emissions across the community. It is anticipated that this portion of the plan will be initiated by the end of 2021. 

Zero Carbon Whitby

Zero Carbon Whitby was endorsed by Council in March 2021, this plan serves as the Towns The Corporate Energy Management Plan and Corporate Climate Adaptation Plan.

• Zero Carbon Whitby Plan

Zero Carbon Whitby has been developed as a framework for implementing a low carbon decision mechanism across the organization. The Plan derives the fair amount of emissions that Whitby’s corporate operations has available to spend (Carbon Budget) in order to support global greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.  The Zero Carbon Whitby Plan identifies a corporate target of net-zero by 2045. This target was developed to reflect the Town’s contribution to limiting the global annual average temperature increase to 1.5°C. 

Embedded within the plan is a Carbon Reduction Framework- an overarching framework for greenhouse gas emissions management, extending over multiple years and all aspects of municipal operations. This framework empowers staff to develop and implement actions from the bottom-up to meet GHG reduction targets by aligning capital and operating budgets with GHG reduction targets.

This plan also aligns with the Ontario Electricity Act. 

Carbon Disclosure Reporting

The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) is a not-for-profit charity that runs the global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impacts. The annual evaluation report is used as a tool for gaining an overview of environmental performance and how the Town's response can be improved in the future. Reporting through CDP meets annual reporting requirements as a member of the Global Covenant of Mayors.

Flooding

If the Town of Whitby is experiencing heavy rainfall, we may see increased flows and higher-than-normal water levels in our creeks and streams. Here's how you can plan ahead and stay safe in the event of a flood.