Colleen James
Regional Council · Region of Waterloo
Back to candidatesClimate & Sustainability
How should municipalities and the Region incorporate climate and sustainability into policy, including development and infrastructure decisions?select up to 3 per part
A. Perspective on climate change
- Climate change is an urgent and defining crisis of our time; reducing greenhouse gas emissions should be a primary consideration across municipal decision-making
- Commitments passed by previous councils, like the 50x30 pledge or declarations of climate emergencies, should guide current council decision making, Our local and regional governments need to renew coordinated action towards implementing the Transform Waterloo Region strategy
B. Building and development standards
- Where possible, require or incentivize energy efficiency standards in new development, beyond current provincial minimums, Require green infrastructure as part of development approvals (e.g. stormwater management, tree canopy, permeable surfaces)
- Use development agreements to require climate sustainability measures as a condition of approval
C. Infrastructure and capital planning
- As Regional Councillor and Chair of the Sustainability, Infrastructure & Development Committee, I believe major infrastructure decisions need to consider both the immediate investment and the long-term costs and risks to taxpayers. I support requiring climate risk and lifecycle cost analysis for major capital decisions so that we are not building infrastructure today that creates greater costs or vulnerabilities tomorrow. I also support prioritizing active transportation and transit as part of how we plan for growth. My work on water resiliency has reinforced the importance of planning infrastructure around long-term capacity, climate risks and growth rather than reacting after problems emerge. As our communities grow, climate resilience and responsible infrastructure planning need to be built into the decision-making process from the beginning.