A climate mandate for Manitoba

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/10/2023 (720 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WITH the arrival of a fresh government in Manitoba, there is an opportunity for the province to rejuvenate its efforts on climate change. With ministers set to receive their mandates, we ask: what would an ambitious climate plan look like for Manitoba?

While the NDP ran on a campaign to improve health care and affordability — and Manitobans replied resoundingly — we must not lose sight of essential investments to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change. Our health and wealth are directly linked to our natural environment that is put at risk by the climate crisis.

We know that Manitoba’s economy is vulnerable to the effects of climate change and that the price of inaction for our economy would be severe. We are already witnessing unprecedented droughts that have crippled our agricultural sector and caused hundreds of millions in lost revenue for Manitoba Hydro. Health impacts of extreme heat waves and increasing smoke in our communities are expected to grow into the future.

Manitoba does have a clean electricity grid because of our unique hydroelectric advantage. However, electricity only accounts for around 25 per cent of our total energy demand in the province. We are still highly reliant on oil and gas for heating our homes, powering our industries, and fuelling our transportation.

The Manitoba NDP has pledged to actively pursue net-zero commitments. In some of Manitoba’s high-emissions sectors — transportation and buildings — the NDP campaign made pledges that could be scaled up while simultaneously supporting better health and affordability for Manitobans.

They committed to invest in electric vehicles through rebates and more charging stations, and also to electrify our transit fleet. But we can go even further by investing in active transportation and smart city planning that promotes walkability — policies that are proven to support public health and affordability. Ambitious climate investments could also include providing public transit at low or no cost to those who cannot afford an electric vehicle.

The NDP has also committed to creating an Affordable Home Energy Program to install geothermal heating systems for 5,000 homes.

Affordable geothermal technology (or ground source heat pumps) has tremendous potential in the province and has been identified as our main heating source in a net-zero future. Homes that convert to geothermal show a 75 per cent decrease in energy consumption. While 5,000 homes is a great start, hitting our climate targets will require the retrofit of approximately 14,000 residential systems per year.

There are even innovative opportunities to link up our geothermal loops with hockey rinks to save energy, reduce costs for community centres, and lower emissions all at the same time.

The NDP campaign also included commitments to build a clean energy hub as electrification will inevitably grow our electricity demand. Technologies such as solar and wind power are reliable, cost-effective, and proven to be suitable for the Manitoba climate.

Hydrogen technology, on the other hand, is still in its infancy and may not represent a sensible climate investment because of storage and transportation uncertainties.

Another campaign commitment was to restore funding to environmental organizations in the province such as the Green Action Centre or the Manitoba Eco-network. The work of these organizations is critical in bringing our province into a climate resilient future. The relatively small investments it takes to support these organizations can pay off dividends in the future.

With so much work to do and so much at stake, a whole-government approach is needed to ensure we are working towards a net-zero future. This means avoiding siloed climate discussion in a few sectors, and embracing climate opportunities that can save money and reduce emissions. Climate change mitigation and adaptation are both essential to achieve a cleaner greener future.

At the end of the day, climate action represents a fiscally responsible investment for the province. It is good for our economy, promotes good jobs, and can save Manitobans money.

It also is required to maintain a livable planet, as we want to leave a healthy planet for the next generation. The NDP made promising initial climate commitments in their campaign pledges, and these could be scaled up to help build a climate resilient future.

Zachary Rempel is a policy analyst and Jessica Kelly is a senior policy advisor, both with the International Institute for Sustainable Development.