Adaptation September 13, 2016 Travis J. Allan Halifax, ICLEI - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

September 13, 2016 Halifax, ICLEI Livable Cities Forum 2016

Travis J. Allan DeMarco Allan LLP travis@demarcoallan.com +1.416.417.1195

What’s Measured: Progress, Indictors and Regional Planning for Adaptation

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Overview

• Context: adaptation and regional planning in the GTHA

(Ontario)

• Legal basis for adaptation and indicators
• Examples of adaptation indicators
• Considerations

Report: “Research and Information Gathering on Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation” released January 2016 available at climateconnections.ca

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Indicators

Can

• Support development of better policy
• Bring rigor to policy development and amendment
• Help separate “trendy” ideas from effective ideas
• Create a culture of accountability
• Set the stage for measureable improvement

…but can also

• Be poorly designed and/or misleading
• Distract from important ideas/changes that aren’t easily

measureable

• Create political and communications challenges

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Context: adaptation and regional planning in the GTHA (Ontario)

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Legal basis for adaptation and indicators

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Adaptation in the plan

Growth Plan (2016 proposed amendments) s. 4.2.10 Climate Change 1. Upper- and single-tier municipalities will develop policies in their official plans to identify actions that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change adaptation goals, aligned with the Ontario Climate Change Strategy, 2015 and Action Plan. 2. In planning to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address the impacts of climate change, municipalities are encouraged to:

a) develop strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to improve resilience to climate change through land use planning, planning for infrastructure, including transit and energy, and the conservation objectives in policy 4.2.9.1; b) develop greenhouse gas inventories for transportation, buildings, waste management and municipal operations; and c) establish municipal interim and long-term greenhouse gas emission reduction targets that support provincial targets and reflect consideration of the goal of net- zero communities, and monitor and report on progress made towards the achievement of these targets.

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Indicators in the plan

Growth Plan (2016 proposed amendments) s.5.2.6

• The Minister will develop a set of performance indicators to measure

the implementation of the policies in this Plan. The Minister will monitor the implementation of this Plan, including reviewing performance indicators concurrent with any review of this Plan.

• Municipalities will monitor and report on the implementation of this

Plan's policies within their municipality, in accordance with any reporting requirements, data standards and any other guidelines that may be issued by the Minister.

• The Minister may require municipalities and conservation authorities

to provide data and information to the Minister, as collected in accordance with policy 5.2.6.2, to demonstrate progress made towards the implementation of this Plan. Greenbelt Plan, the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan and the Niagara Escarpment Plan: similar.

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Examples of adaptation indicators

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Types of indicators

• Process-based:
• Evaluate implementation of enabling environment needed to achieve

climate resilient objectives

• # of municipalities that have implemented a Community Energy Plan
• % of Greenbelt covered by completed watershed plans
• Outcome-based:
• Monitor effectiveness of policies and activities based on

measureable data

• increased drainage capacity to cope with more intense precipitation events
• % of permeable and non-permeable surface area in given area
• % of houses with sump-pumps/disconnected downspouts
• Ha of agricultural land

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Policy direction Indicators/Metric Examples of use Target/Threshold Rationale/Intent Data source(s) #5 - Protect and enhance green infrastructure through land-use planning and through the use of

• ffsets and other

crediting Natural Cover: # of hectares of protected natural area and % of total GGH regional land base that is protected natural area Metro Vancouver regional growth strategy –Baseline Annual Report minimum of 30 per cent, and preferably 50 per cent or more,

• f watershed areas

Protected natural areas provide stormwater infiltration and groundwater recharge; also support urban containment Provincial government; conservation authorities; municipalities % urban forest cover within the built boundary of urban areas in the GGH City of Vancouver Climate Adaptation Strategy 40% tree canopy cover Urban forests mitigate urban heat island impacts and control stormwater run-off Municipal urban forestry departments; remote sensing data Local food supply: Total area of agricultural lands in the GGH TRCA Living City Report Card Near term: no loss of farmland in the GGH Long term: A greater than 5% increase in agricultural land Local agricultural production fosters resilience to price spikes related to extreme weather events (i.e. persistent drought, flooding) Statistics Canada; Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Local food supply: Total agricultural area within GGH urban boundaries (i.e. community gardens and urban farms) ImagineCalgary Plan N/A – No thresholds identified through research (although research suggests that City of Toronto could produce 10% of the fresh vegetables currently consumed) Urban agriculture creates resilience by reducing stormwater run-off and heat island impacts Urban agriculture provides

• pportunities for
• rganic waste

diversion and reduced food kilometres travelled Municipalities – Parks and recreation departments

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Policy direction Indicators/Metric Examples of use Target/Threshold Rationale/Intent Data source(s) #6 - Require improved stormwater management through protection, enhancement and/or construction

• f new permeable

surfaces, run-off control and LID Municipal stormwater management: % GGH urban areas with adequate stormwater management controls (i.e. designed for both water quantity and quality control) TRCA Living City Report Card 2016: Urban area with stormwater management increases to 35% Long term: Greater than 80% of urban areas have stormwater management Effective stormwater management controls reduce the potential for surface water flooding associated with extreme precipitation events Conservation authorities Permeability of urban area: % of permeable surfaces within serviced urban boundary City of Vancouver Climate Adaptation Strategy Urbanizing watersheds should maintain less than 10% impervious land cover Already urbanized watersheds should strive for 25-30% impervious land cover Permeability of the urban area affects the amount and speed of surface water run-off, and thereby erosion and flooding Increased permeability will enhance urban resilience to extreme precipitation events Aerial photographs and satellite imagery Implementation of property-level green infrastructure solutions: Area (ft2)

• f green or white

roofs in the GGH (or by upper tier municipality) City of Vancouver Climate Adaptation Strategy 20% of flat roof area appears to be a feasible mid-term target given experience elsewhere Green roofs provide multiple benefits, including mitigation of urban heat island effect, retention of stormwater and enhanced energy efficiency Aerial photographs; municipal building permitting agencies

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Policy direction Indicators/Metric Examples of use Target/Threshold Rationale/Intent Data source(s) #7 - Provide tools that encourage effective and collaborative adaptation planning by local and regional governments, including updated climate impacts research, updated floodplain mapping, future climate scenarios and requirements to develop climate change risk inventories and adaptation implementation plans Flood risk management: # of flood vulnerable clusters TRCA Living City Report Card 2016: No increase in the # of flood- vulnerable clusters; reduction in the number of structures at risk Long term: >30% reduction in # of flood-vulnerable clusters (in TRCA jurisdiction); reduction in the number of structures at risk Flood vulnerable clusters represent concentrated areas of people and property at-risk during extreme weather events Conservation authorities; provincial government Flood risk management: # of people living in flood vulnerable areas City of Vancouver Climate Adaptation Strategy Flood risk management: $ value of property at- risk in flood vulnerable areas City of Vancouver Climate Adaptation Strategy Critical services/ emergency preparedness: % of municipalities, universi ties, school boards and hospitals (MUSH) sector facilities with back-up power sufficient to remain functional over and above life safety requirements City of Vancouver Climate Adaptation Strategy N/A – No specific thresholds identified through research Continued operation

• f critical services

during extreme weather events reduces vulnerability and supports recovery, particularly

• f vulnerable

populations Periodic survey/audit of public sector building asset managers

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Policy direction Indicators/Metric Examples of use Target/Threshold Rationale/Intent Data source(s) #7 - Provide tools that encourage effective and collaborative adaptation planning by local and regional governments, including updated climate impacts research, updated floodplain mapping, future climate scenarios and requirements to develop climate change risk inventories and adaptation implementation plans (Cont). Critical services/ emergency preparedness: Capacity of municipal cooling centres in the GGH (# of people that could be accommodated) City of Vancouver Climate Adaptation Strategy N/A – No specific thresholds identified through research Reduces risk to vulnerable populations during extreme heat events Municipal public health departments Integrated watershed management: % of Greenbelt covered by completed watershed plans Greenbelt performance indicators N/A – No specific thresholds identified through research Green plans encourage watershed planning and management to protect water resources Conservation authorities

Considerations

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Development

• Is the objective (outcome/process) clearly articulated?
• Is the connection supported by evidence?
• Is there a rational connection between indicators/target and

the objective?

• Are there other examples of the metric being used (e.g. in

comparable jurisdictions)? And have you talked to the users to see if they have advice?

• Is the data set available?
• What are the collection/release timelines?

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Strategic

• Are there concerns related to data ownership and/or privacy

(e.g. under PIPEDA or other applicable privacy regimes — don’t forget provincial regimes e.g. MFIPPA in Ontario)?

• If the data shows vulnerabilities and/or a failure to meet stated
• bjectives and/or targets, is there a process in place to

understand and/or estimate the consequences of a failure to meet that target and to make a policy decision as to whether

• r not to devote resources (personnel, financial, etc.) to

achieving the objective?

• Are there strategic or political reasons that should be

considered before releasing information? Is context required?

• Is a communications strategy required?

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Q & A

Thank you.

Travis J. Allan DeMarco Allan LLP travis@demarcoallan.com +1.416.417.1195

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