HalifACT is one of the most ambitious climate action movements in Canada.
It's our community response to the climate crisis that will build a more resilient and healthy future in Atlantic Canada while preparing for current and future climate impacts. On June 23rd, 2020, Halifax Regional Council unanimously adopted HalifACT – a transformational plan to achieve a net-zero economy by 2050.
We’re committed to keeping you informed of the ways we’re leading, collaborating and supporting climate action in the municipality. For an overview of our recent efforts, see our community update.
Investing in our future
HalifACT is more than a plan – it’s a commitment to reducing emissions, switching to clean and reliable energy sources, and demonstrating leadership from local government.
With this commitment in mind, the 2022/23 municipal capital plan has $10 million in approved spending toward the HalifACT Climate Action Plan for this fiscal year and $109 million approved in principle for fiscal years 2023/24 and 2025/26.
Below is a breakdown of how these dollars will be invested in 2022/23.
Initiatives & ImpactsSpecific details for 2022/23 initiatives are subject to change based on a variety of factors, including resource and material availability, technological requirements, potential supply chain issues, etc. |
Budget AllocationFigures below have been rounded to the nearest $100,000. |
|---|---|
Initiatives & ImpactsSpecific details for 2022/23 initiatives are subject to change based on a variety of factors, including resource and material availability, technological requirements, potential supply chain issues, etc. |
Budget AllocationFigures below have been rounded to the nearest $100,000. |
Initiative: Begin the design and actioning of deep energy retrofits for approximately 700,000 ft2 of floorspace in municipally-owned buildings. Retrofitting to include fuel switching, heat recovery systems, LED lighting, demand-controlled ventilation, rooftop solar and more. Impacts:
|
$2,800,000 |
Initiative: Install a total of five to ten level 3 (fast-charging) electric vehicle charging units at various municipal properties (including rural and urban locations) for public use. Impacts:
|
$1,100,000 |
Initiative: Convert 54 existing municipal vehicles to fully electric or plug-in hybrid electric (approximately 10 per cent of the municipality’s existing fleet). Impacts:
|
$3,100,000 |
Initiative: Install 40 level 2 (lower-capacity) electric vehicle charging units at municipal facilities to support the growing electric vehicle fleet. Impacts:
|
$400,000 |
Initiative: Full review of municipally owned and operated critical infrastructure to determine required “future-proofing” against various potential climate impacts. Impacts:
|
$600,000 |
Initiative: General climate action projects across the municipality. Examples of general initiatives funded in 2021/22:
|
$2,000,000 |
| TOTAL | $10,000,000 |
Regional Council also established a Climate Action Tax as part of its approval of the 2022/23 municipal budget. This tax will fund projects such as electric buses, installing public electric vehicle chargers, retrofitting municipal buildings, as well as taking actions to improve the Halifax region's resiliency against the impacts of climate change – which range from flood mitigation and stormwater management to food security and emergency preparedness.
While implementing HalifACT will require significant financial contribution from all levels of government, investing today will save money, prevent loss, prepare communities and improve wellbeing. One dollar spent today in climate adaption measures will save six dollars tomorrow in future costs, according to a 2020 report by Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
The municipality is already seeing early signs of these savings. Since 2018, as part of a three-year partnership with Efficiency Nova Scotia, the municipality has implemented approximately 200 energy efficiency projects, saving over $2 million annually and reducing green house gas emissions by 15 per cent.
Current progress report summary
See highlights from our latest progress report, presented to the Committee of the Whole on January 21, 2022.
Early successes: Mitigation
- $175,000 grant to support retrofit program received from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities
- New strategies and municipal guidance such as EV strategy, Deep energy retrofit pilot, administrative order mandating net-zero corporate builds
- Retrofits and renewables: $18 million in solar energy systems installed through Solar City
- One third of Regional Centre All Ages and Abilities Bike Network is complete
Early successes: Adaptation
- $275,000 worth of trees to support Urban Forest Master Plan
- Application for Natural Infrastructure Funding to improve Eastern Passage’s Shore Road ($5 million project)
- 1.25 acres of land and $750,000 for Blue Mountain Birch Cove Lakes land acquisition
- Emergency backup generators installed at four community locations to provide emergency comfort centres during extreme weather events.
Read the Plan
Regional Council has unanimously approved the HalifACT 2050 – Acting on Climate Change Together plan, the municipality’s long-term climate action plan to reduce emissions and help communities adapt to a changing climate. Have a look at our plans and supporting documents:
Recognition of Natural Assets
The Halifax Regional Municipality has joined municipalities across the country to support the inclusion of natural assets in accounting inventories.
A preliminary natural asset inventory for the municipality has been completed by the Municipal Natural Asset Initiative. This is the first step on HRMs natural asset management journey and will act as an invaluable resource when developing the asset management program. At the municipal level, natural assets are increasingly being included in the definition of "infrastructure", since many ecosystem services either contribute directly to the municipal mandate (e.g., stormwater management, erosion control, air quality) or are strongly influenced by local decision-making (e.g., about community well-being or climate regulation).
Valuing natural assets such as carbon sequestration & storage, flood protection and biodiversity benefits allows them to be more meaningfully considered by decision-makers.
View the joint response.
View supporting information.
Listen to the Pretty Heady Stuff podcast conversation about HalifACT.
Shannon Miedema, Director of Environment & Climate Change speaks with host and MSVU professor Scott Stoneman. Air date: April 22, 2022 (Earth Day).
TEDxHalifax Countdown
On October 10, 2020, Halifax joined cities from around the globe for TEDxHalifax Countdown, an event focused on climate action.
Did you miss our watch party? Watch now:
Celebrate HalifACT: Youth Climate Art Contest
Thank you to everyone who entered our first ever Celebrate HalifACT: Youth Climate Art Contest and congratulations to the winners! We received a lot of amazing artwork from youth across HRM. View the winning entries:
