This week, the City of Edmonton declared a climate emergency.
The city council there is calling for a 10-year action plan to combat the climate crisis. The declaration is intended to speed up efforts to cut carbon emissions in the city.
During the council meeting Tuesday, Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson noted that an emergency is defined as a serious, unexpected and often dangerous situation requiring immediate action.
“Does this fit this test? I think it does,” Iveson told council.
The Climate Emergency Declaration movement began in Australia in 2016. According to its website, as of Aug. 26, 957 jurisdictions worldwide have declared climate emergencies, including more than 400 in Canada.
WATCH: Greta Thunberg on climate change: ‘We are in an emergency’. Story continues below.
Ottawa declared a climate emergency in April. The decision incurs a one-time cost of $250,000, which will go towards renewable energy and energy conservation programs, as well as conducting an analysis of its goals for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. The city of Vancouver declared one in January. And over 300 municipalities in Quebec have already signed on.
Even Canada’s House of Commons formally declared climate change to be an emergency in June. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May was the only federal party leader present for the debate.
The motion was tabled by Environment Minister Catherine McKenna and recognizes climate change as a “real and urgent crisis, driven by human activity” marked by extreme weather events. The motion moves that the House commit to meeting “national emissions target under the Paris Agreement.”
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