Manitobans should get out of their cars Winnipeg Free Press March 24, 2015

I T would be easy for Manitobans to look at their western neighbours and feel smug about their own
environmental performance. Perhaps that is why only eight people showed up to protest transit policy in
Winnipeg on Sunday.
Manitobas hydroelectricity makes the provinces performance enviable from a greenhouse gas emissions
perspective. Whereas Alberta and Saskatchewan together produced nearly half of Canadas GHG emissions in
2012 (36 per cent and 10.7 per cent respectively), Manitoba produced only three per cent. Yet, Manitobas
emissions are slowly going up.
The province could get back on track by focusing on the daily activities of Manitobans. Transportation accounts
for more than one-third of Manitobas GHG emissions. Of that, personal passenger vehicles make up 40 per
cent of emissions. Heating, cooling and lighting homes and cooking food are also significant contributors.
Fortunately for Manitoba, GHGs can be reduced while saving money. A recent report by the Canada West
Foundation titled Walkin the Walk: Five Steps Toward Efficient Cities provides a simple framework for western
Canadian cities to follow. It makes the case most western cities need to do more but advises cities to
remember that not all environmental projects are worth doing. The ones that are worth doing meaningfully
reduce energy use, GHG emissions and costs to taxpayers over time.
Winnipeg has taken steps to limit both energy use and GHG emissions. But, it should take a close look at some
of the things other western Canadian cities are doing. Calgary, Victoria and North Vancouver are leaders in
mapping energy use, which allows cities to identify the highest value targets for energy management. Calgary,
for example, found 67 per cent of its energy use comes from buildings. This information helps the city to show
value as it seeks public support to reduce energy use and emissions from buildings.
Winnipeg and Edmonton have led the way with self-funding initiatives. They have partnered with energy service
providers to enable private funding for energy infrastructure such as street lighting, with the private investor
being repaid from the savings in operating costs.
It also makes sense for the province to take a look at the Vancouver charter and Albertas framework
agreement for charters if it wants to provide Winnipeg with more tools to reduce energy use and GHG
emissions.
Cities could do more if citizens were less complacent, but their attitude is understandable. Hydroelectricity is
both cheap and abundant in Manitoba and improving energy efficiency tends to have high upfront capital costs.
Competing demands for dollars also distract municipal politicians from taking a hard look at our urban energy
systems.
Builders, too, face a disincentive. Investments in commercial buildings balance capital costs against long-term
operating costs. Penny pinching on the upfront investment can result in higher energy and environment costs
down the road. If cities were to implement full-cost accounting for the life of the project, emphasis would shift
from short-term to long-term goals.
Winnipeg has a bright new mayor who understands the importance of building a sustainable city and he has
the ability to end the complacency. It shouldnt be tough for him to convince citizens to do more. After all,
Manitobas economy depends on the ability to transport resources to the world where our customers
increasingly demand improved commitment to environmental performance.
With a little more effort, Winnipeg and Manitoba could fight the complacency and reassume a leadership role in
reducing GHG emissions.
Trevor McLeod is director of the Centre for Natural Resources Policy at the Canada West Foundation.
www.cwf.ca