Town of Stratford seeing success with reducing greenhouse gas emissions | SaltWire

Stratford’s Community Energy Plan was first adopted by council in 2017 with a goal of reducing energy costs, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing the use of renewable resources. – Stu Neatby

STRATFORD, P.E.I. — The Town of Stratford is touting its environmental efforts after reducing community greenhouse gas emissions by 8.7 per cent over a six-year period.

Reports released on June 1 indicate the town produced 85,358 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in 2021, down from 93,517 tonnes in 2015.

Corporate-related emissions were also down, totalling 761 tonnes in 2021, 19.6 per cent lower than 946 tonnes in 2015.

In 2022, the Town of Stratford became the first Island municipality to implement an energy plan through the countrywide Partners for Climate Protection program.

Town officials believe the community is on track and likely to exceed the reduction targets set by the 2015 community energy plan, which requires the town to drop total emissions by an additional six per cent and corporate emissions by another 20 per cent before 2026.

Gordie Cox, chair of the town’s sustainability committee, said now is the time for everyone to continue pushing forward on the effort.

“As a community, there is more we can do,” said Cox. “We now want to push ourselves even more to set more aggressive targets and begin to work towards them. As our community grows, this becomes more of a challenge to realize but we are up for the challenge, and we know that we have to do the hard work for the future we want for our children, grandchildren and beyond.”