The County of Essex has given a green light to a plan to battle climate change.
With unanimous support, county council has approved the Regional Energy Plan which lays out the framework to reduce energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and energy costs.
"Let's face it, the status quo is not an option and we need to take action for our youth and the generations to come."
This from warden Gary McNamara who co-chaired a task force which took 18-months to develop the plan.
He says climate change is no joke.
"We know that our climate is changing, make no bones about it, global temperatures are rising. We are already feeling the effects of climate change in Essex County and, certainly, around the world. Floods, droughts, heat waves are happening more often and, more importantly, becoming more intense."
McNamara says all levels of government need to get on board.
"In 2019, the County of Essex and the City of Windsor declared a climate emergency and we recognize that we must make it a priority in our planning. Globally, nearly 2,000 jurisdictions in 34 countries have declared a climate emergency and many are now in the process of taking action."
He says it's an ambitious plan, but one that needs to become a reality.
"The future of our environment and the future of our economy, we need to take care of them if Essex County is going to continue to be a great place to live. This plan sets ambitious energy efficiency targets and will serve as both a road map and, certainly, a vehicle to help us achieve them."
County council heard from more than a dozen local stakeholders Wednesday night all committed to implementing the plan.
Several initiatives will be rolled out over the next five years with an ultimate goal of increasing energy efficiency by at least 50% by 2041.
The full report can be found HERE.