While light on details, experts pleased with N.S. climate plan

It’s important that Nova Scotia has put forward a plan titled ‘Our Climate, Our Future’ with 68 action items, say two experts who will look for funding and detail on how to achieve some of the targets.

“On the whole, we feel very positively about the plan,” says Marla MacLeod, the director of programs at the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax. “We are seeing actions that address a lot of the sectors that we would expect, things like energy efficiency, working with diverse communities, plans to support renewable electricity and as well, climate adaptation measures.

“The best thing about the plan is now we have something to work with, something to have conversations around.”

She’s also pleased that the province could exceed the 2030 greenhouse gas emission targets by 2030 if all action items are achieved.

A lack of detail isn’t uncommon for governments revealing plans or strategies, says Sabine Dietz, the head of New Brunswick-based CLIMAtlantic.

“Sixty-eight (items) overall and 16 that are specific on the adaptation side or responding to climate impacts,” she says. “There are some that are specific. Others — continue doing research on particular things that are important — in terms of risks, that’s wide open.”

The plan includes a new pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from electricity by 90 per cent by 2035 and to reduce home heating oil use by at least 20 per cent by 2030.

“These 68 actions will help us be responsive and prepared for changes in the climate that will impact us in order to avoid further damages and losses,” Environment Minister Tim Halman told a news conference Wednesday. “This plan is a starting point for a new focus in Nova Scotia on climate action.”

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Passed in November 2021, the Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act also pledged to have 80 per cent of the province’s energy supplied by renewable sources by 2030 and to have zero-emission vehicles account for 30 per cent of vehicle sales by 2030.

To help with vehicle emissions, the new government plan pledges to build more electric vehicle charging stations across the province and to increase the number of zero-emission vehicles and e-bikes through rebates and public education programs.

Tim Webster, a Nova Scotia Community College research scientist, was also eager to learn about the plan. His team has created several coastal flood risk maps, showing the impact of sea level rise.

“As we do more and more mapping and develop more flood maps on the coast, these will give people guidance as to, ‘Oh, I’m in a vulnerable area here.'”

“It may look great right now on a nice summer day,” he says, but one hurricane or post-tropical storm could lead to flooding, he says, suggesting building on higher levels of ground or taking additional mitigating actions.

“There’s lots of work to be done,” Webster says.

Read more: Provincial report outlines climate risks to Nova Scotia through end of 21st century

But for MacLeod, a lack of detail wasn’t her only concern.

“What we didn’t see in this plan is a commitment to end outdated industries,” she says. “We still have an open coal mine in this province. We have gold mines and we still have possibilities and an active fossil fuel infrastructure, and we need commitments that those things will stop.”

She says if those operations continue, it would undermine the efforts of this plan.

Responding to a question about lack of detail, Halman told reporters Thursday that more information is coming — on part of the plan.

“Stay tuned. There will be something very specific coming from that plan in the days ahead specifically for ‘off oil,’ which is one of the greatest things we can do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

The Ecology Action Centre released a full detailed analysis of the plan Thursday.

— with files from The Canadian Press