Climate Change in Lanark County

Climate change affects human health and the health of our environment. Without climate action, Lanark County may experience:

  • More frequent and extreme weather events
  • Damage to ecosystems and the environment
  • Food insecurity
  • The spread of invasive species
  • Increase in diseases

Lanark County is committed to tackling the issue of climate change to ensure a safe and healthy future for our community and the environment. We are taking strides to reduce the impact of climate change in our community through our Climate Action Plan and other climate initiatives.

Climate Action Plan

On November 8, 2023, County Council adopted Lanark County’s first Climate Action Plan, which outlines our approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions both as a corporation and in the community. The plan includes 29 corporate goals and 21 community goals that aim to reduce emissions in the County’s highest emitting sectors, while also increasing public education, preserving our natural environment, and fostering innovative economic growth.

The Climate Action Plan is based on 7 guiding principles, which serve as the vision and provide a framework for future revisions of the plan.

  1. Create a climate conscious culture and community
  2. Eliminate fossil fuels
  3. Optimize energy/water efficiency and increase renewable energy generation
  4. Advance the use of nature-based solutions in climate change management
  5. Sustainably manage waste towards a circular economy
  6. Collaborate with community stakeholders
  7. Increase funding, accessibility, and education
Lanark County Climate Action Plan

Climate Action Report Cards

Lanark County publishes an annual report card for Lanark County Council and residents to provide regular progress updates on the Lanark County Climate Action Plan. 

2024 Climate Action Report Card
2023 Climate Action Report Card

Climate Action Working Group

The Climate Action Working Group includes three elected official representatives from Lanark County Council. Representatives from each local municipality, Smiths Falls, and Climate Network Lanark are included as needed. The working group’s mission is to provide direction for the implementation and reporting of Lanark County’s Climate Action Plan. 

For meeting minutes and agendas, visit https://lanarkcounty.civicweb.net/Portal/Welcome.aspx 

Our Programs

Better Homes Lanark

Information coming soon!
Tree Planting

Lanark County’s One Million Trees Program aims to plant one million trees over the next ten years in partnership with the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA). Trees play a critical role in combating climate change by capturing and storing carbon from the atmosphere, which can help us achieve our local climate goals. 

We want to promote tree planting in Lanark County. If you want to plant more trees on your property, you can apply to RVCA’s tree planting program. RVCA’s tree planting program provides subsidized trees and custom planting plans for landowners with a minimum of 1.25 acres of suitable land.

Lanark County hosts an annual fall tree seedling giveaway in partnership with RVCA. More details get posted on this page and on our social media closer to the date. 

2024 Tree Giveaway

2024 Tree Giveaway Handout

Lanark County also supports spring tree seedling giveaways in local municipalities. Information for 2025 tree seedling giveaways will be posted soon.
ALUS Mississippi-Rideau

ALUS Mississippi-Rideau (previously ALUS Lanark) supports farmers in the creation of an array of ecosystem projects, including reforestation, windbreaks, riparian buffers, wetland projects, tallgrass prairie, pollinator habitat and more. These projects contribute to the health of the farmers’ privately-owned landscape, while also benefitting the broader environment by providing support for biodiversity, reducing downstream flooding in neighbouring communities and ecosystems, and mitigating the impacts of climate change through carbon sequestration.

Initiated by Climate Network Lanark and Lanark County, ALUS Mississippi-Rideau is administered by the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority and the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority. Lanark County is a member of the ALUS Mississippi-Rideau Partnership Advisory Committee (PAC) alongside local farmers and administrative representatives. The PAC ensures that projects are determined at the local level to address the community's environmental and economic priorities. 
NEW! Community Climate Grant
The Lanark County Community Climate Grant program offers up to $5,000 to non-profit community-based organizations in Lanark County to support climate-related projects. 

Resources and Documents

Partners for Climate Protection Program

Lanark County followed the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program's five-step Milestone Framework to take climate action and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions as a corporation and within the community. The adoption of the Climate Action Plan marks the completion of Milestone 3. 

Lanark County Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory

The greenhouse gas emissions inventory outlines Lanark County's emissions by sector and energy source and provides an important benchmark from which to measure the progress of the Climate Action Plan over time. The inventory was last completed for the year 2023 and will be updated every 2 years. 

Climate Action Seminar Series

In November 2022, Lanark County hosted a climate action seminar series that provided information from experts on how to take climate action, an introduction to sustainable agriculture, and a climate action information session.

Climate Initiative Dashboard

The Climate Initiative Dashboard summarizes local climate initiatives taking place in Lanark County municipalities as of November 2022.

Contact

For more information, contact climate@lanarkcounty.ca.

Follow us on our Sustainable Lanark Facebook page or on Instagram at @sustainablelanark. 

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