Executive summary
This report provides an overview of the proposed 2022 operating and capital budget and forecast
Climate implications
- There are several ways in which climate change can impact the budget. For example, increasing extreme weather events such as wind, freezing rain, extreme heat and cold can result in operational expenditures due to clean-up costs potentially requiring a review of the Severe Weather Reserve Fund and impacts to infrastructure resulted in unbudgeted expenses to repair and/or replace.
- Similarly, efforts to mitigate climate change can have a budgetary impact. Investments in renewable energy and electric vehicle charging infrastructure to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions require higher upfront investments but save the city on operating costs in the longer-term.
- In 2019, City Council declared a climate emergency, prioritizing the fight against climate change by applying a climate lens to the City’s plans, actions and the budget.
- Since that time the Council has:
- approved a Corporate Energy and Emissions Management Plan (2019) with a target for city operations to be net carbon neutral by 2040;
- approved Climate Action Plan (2020) with a target to become a net carbon neutral community by 2050;
- received a Climate Projections Report (2021) based on available science, outlining how Burlington’s climate has and is projected to change;
- received a Warmer, Wetter & Wilder Story Map to illustrate past events that have taken place and how they have impacted the community;
- joined the Global Covenant of Mayors on Energy and Climate Change (2020) and began to disclose climate action initiatives and data through the Carbon Disclosure Project in 2021.
- There are many foundational initiatives in the city’s Vision to Focus (V2F) that will require significant funding to achieve the city’s aspirational climate goals.