The Climate Strategy is our roadmap on how we achieve net zero and climate-resilient Calgary. Approved by Council July 5, 2022, it builds on the previous strategy to align with the Council Climate Emergency declaration to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and adapt to our changing climate at an accelerated pace and scale.

Net zero means cutting greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible. This includes:

• upgrading homes
• switching to zero emissions vehicles
• removing emissions through planting trees or other forms of carbon capture 
  

Climate adaptation refers to actions that reduce the negative impact of climate change, while taking advantage of potential new opportunities.

Download the Calgary Climate Strategy

Calgarians are already upgrading and replacing their windows, adding higher efficiency furnaces and insulation as well as purchasing electric and low emission vehicles. Their decisions for better efficiencies contribute to our city moving toward net zero.

We are preparing to reduce the negative impacts of climate change on people, buildings, infrastructure, and the natural environment. The plan ensures we reduce the disruption to City services and infrastructure, providing core services to Calgarians.

We're working with Calgary's building and development industries, to learn and innovate together to reduce technology costs and provide the services needed. Funding is becoming available while the cost of technology is coming down. Industry in Calgary has already proven that they have the ability to build and renovate to net zero. Clear policy signals will provide industry with the necessary guidance to invest in new technology to support Calgarians. 

Moving to a low carbon economy will yield $60-80 billion in energy cost savings to Calgarians by 2050. Hitting the net zero target for 2050 will require approximately the same order of magnitude of investments in low carbon technology across Calgary. It's a societal cost that will be shared by citizens, private sector, energy industry and all orders of government. It's an effort that a number that cities in Canada and around the world accept as a realistic cost to meet that emission goal.

That effort is shared by everyone including The City, industry, businesses and Calgarians. Doing nothing comes with an even higher global impact. Without global mitigation and local adaptation action, the impacts from severe climate events on infrastructure, the economy and health care in Calgary, are estimated to cost a $2.6 billion annually by the 2050s and $7.8 billion annually by the 2080s.

We are getting Calgary ready for the future economic transition by mobilizing both the public and private sector.

The Calgary Climate Strategy positions The City to bring in funding from other orders of government and the private sectors. It shows the world and industry that Calgary is positioned to be a leader in managing climate change and is a city where industry can invest, confidently set up shop and transition to net-zero by 2050.

The following research and modeling documents informed the Calgary Climate Strategy – Pathways to 2050.