About the Climate Action Plan

Going Green in Grey, the County’s Climate Change Action Plan identifies targets and actions for reducing community greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 30% by 2030 and reaching net-zero by 2050, as well as building resilience to the impacts of climate change.

Grey County is also aiming for a 40% reduction in GHG emissions from county operations by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2045.

Table of Contents

Read the Plan

Climate change report cover showing an aerial shot of the beaver valley in full fall colours

Going Green in Grey: Summary

This 28-page summary document provides a brief overview of the County's emissions sources, the plan's vision, goals, benefits, the 21 community actions, 13 corporate actions, and how you can help.

Going Green in Grey: Full Plan

The full, 125-page plan provides more detailed information on the GHG emissions inventory, and descriptions of the plan's actions, and implementation.

Climate action involves two main parts – 1) mitigation, or actions to reduce emissions that cause climate change, and 2) adaption, or actions to manage the impacts of climate change.

Local Impacts

In Grey County, climate change is expected to cause warmer, wetter, and wilder conditions. Agriculture is particularly vulnerable to climate change - agricultural impacts include a longer growing season, but also drought, soil erosion and nutrient loss.

To learn more about how Grey County's climate will change in different scenarios, check out the Climate Atlas Map.

Grey County’s GHG Emissions

In 2018, Grey County residents, businesses and organizations generated 909,500 tonnes of CO2e, which amounts to 9 tonnes of CO2e per person. Grey County’s corporate emissions amount to roughly 3,900 tonnes per year.

The following graphs show the breakdown of GHG emissions in Grey County. 65% of GHG emissions from waste, agriculture, and land use come from livestock functions, and 64% of emissions from fossil fuels come from private vehicles.

Climate Solutions

The plan’s 21 actions fall under the following seven themes. The priority actions (bolded) help meet 79% of Grey County’s greenhouse gas reduction targets, so this is where the County largely focuses its efforts.

Corporate Actions

Build energy efficient new buildings & retrofit existing buildings
Build a net-zero residential demonstration building
Install 1.78 megawatts of solar panels on County facilities
Convert outdoor lighting to LED
Reduce single passenger commuting and private vehicles
Implement operational efficiencies to reduce fuel consumption by 10%
Develop a corporate waste reduction program
Collaborate with municipalities on wastewater efficiency
Develop a municipal climate lens policy to determine how projects and decisions will impact and be impacted by climate change
Retain a Climate Change Initiatives Manager
Promote a culture of conservation