Full-time Cornwall employee to tackle climate change, report recommends

(Newswatch Group/Bill Kingston, File)

CORNWALL – A report on the cost of greenhouse gas emissions for the City of Cornwall proposes to reassign a full-time employee to tackle the problem.

The proposal would see the environmental services department “transition an existing full-time position to assume the role of Sustainable Operations Project Coordinator.”

That person would oversee all aspects of a sustainability program to get the city to zero carbon emissions.

As for tackling climate change in the community, report author Carl Goodwin says the “main targets” are natural gas or furnace oil for heating and gasoline or diesel for vehicle fuels, which “should be targeted for mitigation or ultimately, elimination.”

The City of Cornwall accounts for 4 per cent of the city’s carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, or about 9,000 metric tons. The community is just over 268,000 metric tons.

The report says the plan won’t cost the City of Cornwall any more money since its reassigning an employee, but there “will be some direct costs” for training, meetings and to build the so-called “Climate Lens” into plans and policies.

Council will discuss the proposal tonight at 7 p.m. (Feb. 22).