Richmond’s Warden said climate emergency planning will not only help with preparation but can be used to access funding.
At last night’s regular monthly meeting of Richmond Municipal Council in Arichat, Warden Amanda Mombourquette said a resident reached out to her to remind her that in 2019, municipalities across Canada declared climate emergencies in their jurisdictions and she asked if council was interested in making a declaration.
Mombourquette said the municipal climate plan was last updated in 2013 and now needs to incorporate emergency management planning, the climate emergency, climate plans and adaptations, municipal infrastructure, and the vulnerable persons registry.
While the plan would be supported by the provincial government’s “The Future of Nova Scotia’s Coastline,” the warden said they are still exploring their role in that process, noting that Richmond County “still has work to be done” in zoning bylaws and planning strategies.
Richmond County Warden Amanda Mombourquette
Mombourquettte then pointed to municipalities like Lunenburg which have approved their own coastal protection regulations, as well as the Town of Mahone Bay which approved a greenhouse gas reduction plan.
The warden said the plan will help the municipality position itself to access current and future funding programs available to municipalities, such as the Green Municipal Fund which has a Local Leadership for Climate Adaptation Funding Program through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
Mombourquette said the province also has a Climate Change Community Capacity Program.
With two large green energy developments planned in Point Tupper, the warden said those projects can also be leveraged for their potential to improve Canada’s energy security.
Council then approved a motion to have staff update its information using sections from municipal planning strategies that refer to coastal protection and emergency management planning, and have staff work with the provincial Funding Navigators to identify opportunities.