CAPITAL/Ottawa Climate Action Fund
A CLIMATE LENS BUILDS OTTAWA’S ECONOMIC PROSPERITY BY ST E V E WI NK EL MAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTO R, OT TAWA CLIMATE ACTION FUN D (A N I N I TI ATI V E OF TH E OT TAWA COM M UN I T Y FOUN DATI ON )
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ROM DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION to affordable
housing, from tapping Ottawa’s tech prowess to building a 21st century workforce, actions to address climate change will help the city move farther, faster on all of its pressing challenges. Look no farther than the latest tornado, ice storm, derecho, heatwave, power outage, or wildfire smoke alert for proof that climate change is an urgent issue for our city. Our future prosperity depends on making the right moves, and making them soon. But Ottawa can also become living proof that action on climate change is about opportunity and gain, and averting future loss and pain. That filtering our biggest local issues through a climate lens helps us deliver faster, better, more affordable solutions to those priorities. We’ll realize that actions to reduce carbon pollution and futureproof our community against mounting climate risk connect closely to our efforts to revitalize our downtown. Make housing more affordable. Refocus our high-tech acumen on a resilient, netzero future. Attract a skilled, next-generation workforce. And make Ottawa a welcoming, equitable community where no one is left out or left behind. A focus on faster emission cuts and climate resilience may even bring us new sources of public funding and private investment. The same dollars we need to deliver on other community priorities. That’s why OCAF is planning a summit on climate action and economic prosperity, to begin translating the opportunities into an action plan. Climate Change Means Business…and So Does Ottawa The Ottawa Board of Trade has declared a sharp focus on city building, downtown redevelopment, and affordable housing. Each of these signature priorities underpins their vision of a healthy, thriving city—economically, socially, and environmentally. And each of them intersects with an all-in response to climate change, both the risks Ottawa faces and the opportunities on our immediate horizon. The risks begin with the billions of dollars’ worth of health impacts, flooded basements, infrastructure damage, and costly business interruptions that we’ll face if we don’t climate-proof our community. The opportunity lies in the 90% of local greenhouse gas emissions that trace back to buildings and transportation that need to be zeroed out by 2050¹. We envision: • A city that operates more efficiently with reliable infrastructure, less sprawl, and low-carbon buildings that are prepared for the next flood, heatwave, or power outage; • A healthier, more affordable and equitable city that attracts and retains a 21st century workforce; 1. https://ottawa.ca/en/living-ottawa/environment-conservation-and-climate/climate-change-andenergy/energy-evolution 18
C A P I TAL FAL L 2023 | T HE BUSINES S MAG A ZINE O F THE OT TAWA BOA R D OF TR A D E
A vibrant business environment where start-ups can get a foothold and established companies can thrive. The menu of solutions includes heat pumps² , deep building retrofits³, electric vehicles, 15-minute neighbourhoods⁴, carshare⁵, e-bikeshare, microgrids⁶, and more. •
Prevent, Prepare, Prosper This climate solutions agenda aligns quite well with OBOT’s citybuilding priorities. Downtown Revitalization In June, 2023, OBOT issued an urgent call for downtown revitalization. “Downtown Ottawa is the heartbeat of our whole region,” President Sueling Ching said⁷ at the time. “What happens downtown has a direct and immediate impact on every business, every citizen, and every visitor.” Activating a dynamic city core begins with affordable, green buildings and infrastructure, making downtown Ottawa a place where people want to live, work, shop, and play. That aligns with the City’s intensification goals⁸, converting office buildings to residential, and developing neighbourhoods that are compact, walkable and resilient. Revitalization costs less than sprawl⁹, can increase return on investment in public transit, gives residents the city they want— and reduces emissions along the way. Affordable Housing The business community recognizes affordable housing as an urgent priority. “As Ontarians spend more of their income on housing, they have less available to spend on other goods and services, resulting in wide-ranging implications for the business community and overall economy,” the Ontario Chamber of Commerce declared10 earlier this year. A “Fill it First”11 affordable housing strategy for Ottawa would support missing middle12 infill and secondary suites to create practical and attractive choices for more owners and renters. Climate performance criteria for buildings and neighbourhoods, old and new, can tackle the largest emissions sources, give folks a break on their energy bills, create decades of demand for a skilled, local, green 2. https://www.efficiencycanada.org/heat-pumps-canada/ 3. https://betterhomesottawa.ca/ 4. https://engage.ottawa.ca/the-new-official-plan/news_feed/15-minute-neighbourhoods 5. https://www.ocaf-faco.ca/news-post/ocaf-celebrates-the-launch-of-the-ottawa-communityhousing-electric-vehicle-car-sharing-program/ 6. https://www.corporateknights.com/energy/5-system-changing-ways-to-fight-rising-energybills-in-heat-waves/ 7. https://www.ottawabot.ca/2023/07/21/downtown-ottawa-press-conference-speaking-notes/ 8. https://ottawa.ca/en/planning-development-and-construction/official-plan-and-master-plans/ official-plan 9. https://www.ocaf-faco.ca/news-post/economic-social-environmental-benefits-of-smartgrowth/ 10. https://occ.ca/wp-content/uploads/OCC-Housing-Affordability-Brief.pdf 11. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NHZ_FygklVOYcibEH_ecPn_jsyiwbAkv/view 12. https://affordablemissingmiddle.ca/webinars