P.E.I. climate emissions dipped down in 2020 amid early pandemic months
P.E.I.’s local weather emissions shrank in 2020 due in no small half to financial shocks and office shifts led to by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A report launched by the federal Division of Setting and Local weather Change Canada on April 14 discovered the province’s whole carbon emissions dropped from 1.7 megatonnes in 2019 to 1.6 megatonnes in 2020.
The province emitted on the identical stage – 1.6 megatonnes per yr – in every of the yr’s between 2015 and 2018, in accordance with the report. The federal report represents essentially the most up-to-date accounting of local weather emissions throughout Canada.
The 2020 emissions signify a 15 per cent drop from P.E.I.’s emissions in 2005, the benchmark yr used to measure progress in decreasing greenhouse fuel emissions. P.E.I.’s legislated local weather change aim is to cut back emissions by 40 per cent beneath 2005 ranges by 2030, and to succeed in “web zero” emissions by 2040.
Whereas the information is sweet, Derek Ellis, director of sustainability with the province’s Division of Setting, Vitality and Local weather Motion, mentioned the emissions reductions have been partially a product of the primary yr of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He chalked a lot of the emissions reductions as much as reductions in commuting from staff, lots of whom opted to do business from home in the course of the early months of the pandemic. A big drop in tourism visitors, whereas punishing for the Island’s financial system, additionally doubtless contributed to the emissions reductions.
“After all (we’re) anticipating these numbers to rebound slightly bit within the (2021) yr,” Ellis informed SaltWire in an April 20 interview.
“I do not assume that is one thing we ought to be patting ourselves on the again about. But it surely’s good to see a lower.”
Whereas emissions are anticipated to rebound, Ellis mentioned the province has seen success in decreasing emissions within the buildings sector. Authorities applications have helped to transition Islanders from utilizing fossil gas for dwelling heating to decrease emissions choices equivalent to warmth pumps.
“That is doing numerous the heavy lifting on our emissions reductions on P.E.I,” Ellis mentioned.
“It finally ends up being a no brainer for builders to place these in, particularly given the plain worth fluctuations in dwelling heating oil and fuel and diesel.”
Ellis mentioned the province is going through challenges in transitioning Islanders away from a reliance on driving. Shopper choice continues to favour bigger fuel guzzling autos equivalent to sport utility autos or massive vehicles.
Transportation accounts for 44 per cent of the province’s emissions – the most important share by far.
“We’re extra depending on our autos and are extra depending on dwelling heating oil than some other province. In order that’s why we’re seeing our per-person family emissions so excessive in comparison with different jurisdictions,” Ellis mentioned.
“We nonetheless have numerous work to do to decarbonize these two sectors.”
Work-from-home targets
As a part of the province’s efforts to succeed in its local weather targets, Transportation Minister James Aylward says the province is aiming to have 30 per cent of provincial workers do business from home.
However Aylward didn’t verify whether or not there’s a timeline for reaching this telecommuting aim.
“It is an ongoing course of. The Public Service Fee are working with the employees,” Aylward mentioned.
As of April 22, 977 provincial civil servants proceed to work remotely. This represents about 26.5 per cent of the province’s civil servants.
Aylward mentioned some departments, together with his personal, are working to transform buildings to multi-use work areas, with no assigned desks.
“Should you’re working remotely and you’re feeling that it is advisable to are available and be on web site you’d have an area that you are able to do that from. That is additionally in course of.”
Inexperienced MLA Ole Hammarlund believes the province must be extra proactive in encouraging workers to do business from home.
Hammarlund believes Islanders have regained their reliance on driving into work because the early months of the pandemic. He mentioned he wish to see extra efforts from the province to encourage telecommuting, which he believes might additionally enhance high quality of life.
“I’d like to see precise discount in transportation,” Hammarlund mentioned.
“I do not assume we will see any discount within the quick future, the way in which the hassle has been. We want a a lot greater effort.”
