Why conserve energy?

Although we are increasingly producing energy from renewable sources like water, the sun and wind, more than 90% of the world's energy still comes from non-renewable fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas. Burning fossil fuels releases enormous quantities of greenhouse gases, which puts us and future generations at risk.

Higher levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are causing climate changes - to our weather, wind patterns, the amount and type of precipitation and the types and frequency of severe weather events. The implications of climate change are serious and could cause:

  • warmer average temperatures
  • changes in precipitation patterns
  • increased evaporation from surface waters such as lakes and streams
  • increases in extreme weather events and weather variability
  • sea level rise and stronger coastal storm surges
  • reduced snow pack, shrinkage of the polar ice cap, and most glaciers

A roof with solar panels on it   Ontario Power Generation Wind Turbine

Improving Your Energy Efficiency

Whether your motivation for conserving energy is to save money, or reduce your impact on the environment, it just makes good sense.

Improving Energy Efficiency in Pickering

As part of its sustainability journey, the City has undertaken many initiatives to reduce energy and greenhouse gas emissions at both a corporate and community level.

Corporate Energy Management Plan

The 2019-2024 Corporate Energy Management Plan (CEMP) provides a roadmap for planning and decision-making for the next phase of the City of Pickering’s energy management program. The CEMP builds on the success of the previous plan, but refocuses the City’s energy management priorities to consider the current context of technology, policy and City growth and development. The CEMP was developed in accordance with Ontario Regulation 507/18, Broader Public Sector: Energy Reporting and Conservation and Demand Management Plans, which establishes a province-wide framework for municipal energy.

Community Energy Plan

With regard to community energy and greenhouse gas emission reduction goals, the City collaborated with the Region of Durham, utilities, and all eight municipalities within the Region to develop a Community Energy Plan.

Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reports

View the Ontario Regulation 507/18 reports for the Corporation of the City of Pickering:

Completing the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) Program

In 2015, Pickering was recognized for achieving Milestone Five, the last step of the PCP program. Pickering is one of only 26 other municipalities in Canada to have achieved this distinction. The Partners for Climate Protection Program is a network of over 300 Canadian municipal governments that have committed to reducing greenhouse gases and acting on climate change.

The PCP program is based on a 5 milestone framework:

  1. Completion of a greenhouse gas (GHG) and energy use inventory, and forecast for the community and municipal operations
  2. Setting local GHG reduction targets
  3. Development of a Local Action Plan to meet established reduction targets
  4. Implementation of actions identified in an adopted Local Action Plan
  5. Monitoring and measurement of actions and results