Winnipeg Community Energy Investment Roadmap

Location Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Client City of Winnipeg
Client Type Municipal Government
Population  (2021) 749,607
Schedule July 2020 – March 2023

The City of Winnipeg is situated in Southern Manitoba at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers. The total area of the city is close to 500km2 due to unconstrained outward development, though the downtown district is considered the fastest-growing area of the city. By 2050, Winnipeg’s population is expected to increase by 36% to reach nearly 1 million people.

Project Objective

Winnipeg first formally responded to climate change in 1998, when it joined the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Partners for Climate Change Program. The city then went on to develop Winnipeg’s Climate Action Plan (WCAP) in 2018, setting a reduction of their 2011 greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2030, and 80% by 2050. SSG was brought in to support the development of the Community Energy Investment Roadmap (CEIR). The objective of the project was to identify a pathway to achieve the City’s GHG emissions targets, along with an implementation strategy for the City and community.

Outcomes

The CEIR outlines emissions reductions associated with five areas that require ‘Big Moves”: buildings, transportation, local renewable energy, water, and waste. Actions taken in these key areas would result in a 94% decrease in GHG emissions by 2050, and overall decrease in total energy demand by 62%. Investing in implementation of these actions would result in a net financial benefit for the city of $30.7 billion due to avoided carbon costs, and reduced energy and maintenance costs. Further, actions from the NZS would benefit low-income and equity-denied groups by reducing transportation costs for households and increasing accessibility to more destinations across the city. The NZS also results in new employment opportunities, with 103,000 person years of employment over the BAU scenario between 2022 and 2050. 

Services: Community Energy and Emissions Modelling, Climate Action Planning

Tools: CityInSight Community

Link to final report.