Group of Calgary councillors want city’s climate emergency declaration rescinded

Calgary city council will now decide whether to rescind the city’s climate emergency declaration following a notice of motion from a group of councillors.

The motion from Couns. Sonya Sharp, Andre Chabot, Dan McLean, and Terry Wong cleared the executive committee on Monday.

The councillors’ motion not only seeks the declaration to be dropped but also an audit on the city’s climate-related spending.

“We hear the $87 billion strategy and administration will say, ‘Well, it’s not really $87 billion,’ so then what is it?” asks Sharp.

The $87 billion figure is not simply a sum the city plans to spend exclusively over the course of its climate plan, but rather a price tag that the city administration has pegged as the broad economic cost of investments made by all levels of government and the private sector, with a long-term vision, to reach net zero by 2050.

The declaration of Calgary being in a climate emergency was passed by council in 2021 by a 13-2 vote, with Sharp, Chabot, and Wong, who are now looking to drop the declaration, also voting in favour of it at the time.

“I think people are waffling and flip-flopping because we are getting into an election season,” says Mayor Jyoti Gondek. “Whatever is populist and can stir the pot and can get you some news headlines is the way some people choose to go.”

Chabot says the initial declaration was predicated on the city getting money from Ottawa.

“As you know, Bill 18 prevents us from directly accessing federal funds, so the idea of having a climate emergency declaration for the purpose of receiving federal funds has been negated by Bill 18,” says Chabot.

Bill 18, officially titled the Provincial Priorities Act, came into effect earlier this year and introduced significant changes to the interaction between municipalities and other provincial entities and the federal government. It prevents municipalities from entering into agreements with federal entities without prior approval from the Alberta government.

CityNews spoke to a handful of Calgarians on Monday who were split on whether the climate emergency declaration is necessary.

“Are there climate challenges? Yes, absolutely. But rushing into emergency status, I think, sends a bit of an alarmist message,” says one resident.

“I don’t think it’s alarmist,” says another. “I think it’s probably pragmatic and practical. We live in a time where we are facing serious emergencies and serious climate challenges.”

Climate advocates say the declaration of Calgary being in a climate emergency is just stating the truth.

“We see tens of thousands of people a year dying due to the effects of climate change,” says Calgary Climate Hub board chair Robert Tremblay. “This notice of motion frankly goes against reality.”

“The councillors can pass a motion that says the Bow River runs uphill, but that won’t make it true.”

Council is set to meet next Tuesday.