By Kevin Martel/CJME News Staff

Saskatchewan Enviornmental Society urges cities to go carbon neutral

Jun 19, 2016 | 9:08 AM

Saskatchewan’s two largest cities are being asked to be carbon-neutral by 2050.

That’s what the Saskatchewan Environmental Society is urging for both Saskatoon and Regina.

“I think it’s attainable with other partners not just by the city alone. This is a very aggressive goal to have and certainly a goal that I think we would all want to work toward,” said Regina Mayor Michael Fougere.

The society wants fossil fuels to become obsolete and instead be replaced by safe renewable forms of energy. There are several recommendations in order for the cities to meet that target. They include adopting energy efficiency standards for all new house construction and industrial operations, accelerating the application of solar technology, and making LED lighting a staple in every neighbourhood.

Fougere maintains the city has been working at becoming greener.

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“We haven’t been sitting idle as a city. We’re doing many things related to reducing greenhouse gases and we’ll continue to do that,” he explained. “We’re one of the first municipalities to assess our emissions and set reduction targets and develop some action plans locally.”

One of the other recommendations focuses on the two cities increasing investments into transit, bike and walking infrastructure. Fougere said that’s something the city has been addressing lately, especially since bus ridership has gone up quite substantially over the last few years according to the mayor.

 Email kmartel@cjme.com
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