Last week the City of Edmonton released its EcoVision Annual Report. This document is basically a report card on our environmental status – both for City operations and in the community. We look at all the work done by the city that may have an impact on the environment and evaluate it against specific measures.
The report is not a bragging document. Sure, there are environmental initiatives that we’re doing that we’re incredibly proud of – like our pest control systems and our waste management systems – but there are also areas where we need a lot of work – like in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
We strive to make this report as clear and as accurate as possible. We not only report on what is happening with each of the programs, we also rate them by whether or not they are meeting the measures created for them. For instance, under toxic substances, the report card shows that the status of this area is good in that the City has reduced the amount of toxics used in our operations and is likely to continue, as non-toxic options present themselves, into in the future. On the other hand, the measure of community greenhouse gases is showing that Edmonton is not meeting its target on reducing greenhouse gases (in fact they are continuing to rise) and that trend isn’t likely to get better by the time of the next report.
The Council and administration of the City of Edmonton take this report seriously and use it to work on areas that need improvement. But we hope that you will also read the report and think about how you can have a positive impact on the environment. The protecting the environment is everyone’s responsibility. Until we all make the commitment to do better – drive less, use less water, keep toxins from going down the drain, stop idling our cars – this report will always show areas that need improvement.
To read the full EcoVision Annual Report visit www.edmonton.ca/EcoVision
Also, make sure to follow the progress of the public consultation of our developing Environmental Strategic Plan over at www.thewaywegreen.ca