For Immediate Release
April 22, 2017
Mayor Crombie Marks Earth Day 2017
“Earth Day is a reminder that we are all stewards of the environment. As residents, we can make small but important changes at home – from reducing waste, to planting a garden and being aware of everything that goes into our curbside storm drain.
“Cities must take action to safeguard our environment because over 50% of the population now lives in urban areas. Cities contribute 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions and, in Ontario, have control over land use and transportation – two major sources of emissions.
“The City of Mississauga continues to address the ongoing challenges caused by climate change with responsible, comprehensive and forward-looking solutions, including:
- Expanded Transit – In 2015, MiWay avoided greenhouse gas emissions of approximately 55,000 tonnes – equivalent to taking 11,000 cars off the road.
- Street Light LED Conversion Program – Between 2014 and 2015, this reduced the City’s carbon footprint by 1,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2).
- LED lighting in Tomken Arena – This project saved almost 95,000 kilowatt hours. This project was also the first of its kind in Ontario.
- Greening Our Fleet – Increased the overall efficiency of the City’s fleet by right-sizing fleet vehicles and converting some to hybrids. This program avoided the City over $500,000 in fuel costs over the life of the program.
- One Million Trees – 241,000 trees have been planted to date. Trees help mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon dioxide from the air.
“The tremendous success of our tree planting program shows that our residents and community partners are committed to preserving, protecting and improving our urban forest.
“We must do everything we can to continue building a healthy, green and sustainable Mississauga. Together, we can make a lasting and positive difference toward improving our local environment.”
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The Climate Change Actions Update is a staff report from May 2016 – which details a number of climate change related initiatives undertaken to improve energy efficiency, reduce pollution and enhance environmental stewardship. Follow @MiLivingGreen for ongoing information.