Climate Resilient Kelowna Strategy

Kelowna’s climate is changing. Overall, in the coming decades Kelowna will experience hotter, drier summers, extreme weather changes, and more precipitation (in all seasons except summer). This could result in more wildfires, flooding, drought, and heat domes, all of which have already had an impact on our community.

Climate & Environment is one of the six Council Priorities for 2023-26. The City of Kelowna is developing a Climate Resilient Kelowna Strategy to guide how our community can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that causes climate change and prepare for and adapt to the changes we are expecting.

How to get involved - engagement period has concluded

The first round of engagement for the Climate Resilient Kelowna Strategy happened in the Spring of 2023. See "What we Heard" in the Climate Resilient Kelowna Engagement Summary. Our next round of engagement on the Draft Strategy is expected to occur in Spring 2024, check back later for more details.

Background

Climate change affects everyone, and we all play a role in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to limit the extent and impacts of climate change. In 2018, the City of Kelowna completed the Community Climate Action Plan, a five-year strategy to reduce GHG emissions four per cent below 2007 levels by 2023.

Soon after the Council's endorsement significant changes happened on the climate planning landscape when scientists stressed the urgency for significant action to limit global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius to avoid significant global impact. Governments at all levels have responded, adopting more aggressive emission reduction targets and action plans.

To address this and ensure progress beyond the expiring CCAP, the City began a three-phase project in 2021 to identify how Kelowna and its residents can reduce community GHG emissions and prepare for and adapt to climate change.

Phase 1: Greenhouse Gas Modelling Study
This technical study, presented to Council on June 20, 2022, modelled actions to be taken to reduce Kelowna’s GHG emissions from transportation, waste, and building sectors. Based on the outcomes, Council recommended a new strategy be developed using the Province of BC's targets to reduce emissions 40% below 2007 levels by 2030 and approach net zero emissions by 2050. See the Executive Summary for more info.

Phase 2: Climate Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (CVRA)
This recently completed technical study, presented to Council on April 3, 2023, describes the scope of Kelowna’s community adaptation challenge by modelling the natural and built hazard risks and vulnerabilities to existing buildings, infrastructure and people, and planned growth, out to 2070. See the assessment’s Executive Summary for more.

Phase 3: Developing the Climate Resilient Kelowna Strategy
This phase will use the results of the first two phases, together with input from the community to develop a series of recommendations on how our community can become resilient by reducing GHG emissions (climate mitigation) and preparing for the impacts of climate change (climate adaptation).

Once complete, the Climate Resilient Kelowna Strategy will include:

Updated community GHG emission inventories for Kelowna’s 2007 and 2016-20 emissions
Adaptation scenario modelling to assess the expected outcomes of implementing the adaptation actions
Implementation framework to identify various policies, programs and initiatives for climate change mitigation and adaptation actions
A final plan detailing the recommended actions and implementation framework

We all play a role!

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