Climate

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

At Lanark County we recognize the impact that climate change has within our community. We are tackling the issue of climate change through a Climate Action Plan and other climate initiatives.

Climate Action Plan

The County of Lanark is committed to making an impact on climate change through the development and implementation of the Climate Action Plan. With support from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities we will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions using the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) five step milestone process. This process aims to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions both as a corporation and in the community.

Milestones

Milestone 1: Create a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory and forecast for corporate emissions and community emissions.

Milestone 2: Set an emissions reduction target.

Milestone 3: Develop a local action plan.

Milestone 4: Implement the local action plan or set of activities.

Milestone 5: Monitor progress and report results.

On November 8, 2023, County Council adopted the final draft of the Climate Action Plan, which marks the completion of Milestone 3. The plan includes corporate goals related to education, transportation and equipment, buildings and energy, waste diversion and management, and the Lanark County Housing Corporation. Community goals are related to transportation, buildings and energy, natural heritage and resources, waste diversion and management, and planning. The final draft incorporates feedback received during a seven-week public comment period. During this time, local municipalities, organizations, community groups, businesses, and community members were encouraged to provide their feedback.

Lanark County Climate Action Plan

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

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.

Climate Initiative Dashboard
Corporate Climate Action Table
Community Climate Action Table

Climate Initiatives

If you have any questions about Lanark County’s Climate Action Plan or climate change initiatives please send us an email or call us at 613-267-1353.

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. To view the recordings, visit: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuTz7eaoahlu0_Jl1IUlCbnQwU8uUz0N_

Tree Planting

Lanark County’s One Million Tree Program aims to plant one million trees over the next ten years in partnership with the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA). Trees play an important role in carbon capture to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions throughout the community.

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.

Tree Giveaway

Tree Giveaway Handout

Plastic Reduction

Lanark County has banned single use plastic bags and straws as of July 1^st, 2021. Compliance with the local ban is voluntary. Businesses and residents are asked to voluntarily make the switch from plastic bags and straws to alternative reusable products. The local plastic ban applies to:

Plastic shopping, checkout, and takeout bags
Single use plastic straws

At the end of 2021, the Federal Government is banning selected single use plastic products. The Federal single use plastic ban will include plastic bags, straws, stir sticks, six-pack rings, cutlery and food ware as part of their plan to achieve zero plastic waste by 2030. To achieve this, the federal, provincial, and territorial governments have adopted a Canada-wide Action Plan on Zero Plastic Waste.

Updates

To get updates about climate initiatives in Lanark County, please subscribe to this page below and view our 2023 Climate Action Report Card.