#ottghg news release

For immediate release December 10, 2012

Ottawa's faltering economy and our City's lack of sustainability leadership: is there a link?
The #ottghg Twitter campaign is asking tough questions and not getting answers - yet. Ottawa-Gatineaus economy is forecast to have the smallest GDP increase among 13 major Canadian cities covered in the Conference Board of Canada's recent Metropolitan Outlook.1 The #ottghg Twitter campaign is asking tough questions about Ottawa's economic future. A climate change strategy for Ottawa is a way to take control of our energy and economic future, and a way to avoid pollution and the associated healthcare costs. Naysayers are selling Ottawa short and underestimating our capabilities as one of the most creative cities in North America. In June, 2012, City Council's Environment Committee (EC) made the commitment to host a greenhouse gas (GHG) roundtable. This important initiative has not been moved forward. Neither a Terms of Reference nor other roundtable details have been shared with the public or stakeholders. There has been a general lack of communication related to the GHG roundtable, and climate change policy in general. Councillor McRae, Chair of the EC, has curiously dropped the ball on the GHG roundtable and, although a respected community leader in many other ways, His Worship Mayor Watson remains absent on this file. It is beyond dispute that GHG reduction is a highly strategic file in leading cities around the world, including across Canada. Era-appropriate climate change policy can create jobs, increase productivity, save tax dollars, and save lives. See the attached 'Canadian cities' climate plans' for a list of cities committed to climate change action and GDP standings, as well as Ottawa's position. Many of the cities listed with climate change strategies and plans are also economic growth leaders in Canada. The City of Ottawa previously had a constructive approach to sustainability planning and policy development, however, over the last couple of years, the approach has shifted considerably. Plans have been disregarded and downplayed, and funds and staff removed from the file. These moves directly contradict the Citys Official Plan and 2011-2014 Strategic Plan. See the attached 'inaction backgrounder' for more information. #ottghg is a Twitter, e-mail, and city-wide conversation focusing on era-appropriate climate change policy. Green house gas reduction initiatives create jobs, increase economic productivity, save tax dollars, and save lives. The creator of #ottghg is Martin Canning. For information about Martin please see ca.linkedin.com/in/MartinGCanning.
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For more information contact: Martin Canning | 613-316-3929 | @MartinGCanning | canning.martin@gmail.com

Conference Board of Canada, Metropolitan Outlook 1: Economic Insights in 13 Canadian Metropolitan Economies: Autumn 2012. For more information see: http://bit.ly/UOFWyK.