Plan Complements Existing Energy and Emissions Plan that Outlines Priorities to Reduce Emissions
PRINCE RUPERT, FEBRUARY 11th, 2025 – The City has now adopted a Climate Change Adaptation Plan, which looked at future climate trends specific to Prince Rupert and supports municipal decision making around how we can adapt as a community to anticipated changes.
“As a remote, Northern region, our community has different things to think about when it comes to adapting to anticipated changes to our climate,” said Mayor Herb Pond. “We have been relatively shielded from climate related events experienced in other areas of the Province, but that may not always be the case. This plan will inform our decisions to ensure that Prince Rupert is well prepared for whatever may come.”
The threats to our area were threats from overall eco-region changes. Other potential hazards included tsunamis, wildfires, extreme heat, flooding and landslide, which are anticipated to increase from a current ‘minimal’ threat level to ‘low’ level threat over time. The primary themes that emerged as a result of the study were travel delays, potential water system disruptions, shift in human-wildlife interactions, decline in health and well-being, disrupted access to essential services and decline in the local food supply. Actions were provided to the City to help residents adapt to these changes, including some, like development of a community Food Strategy, that are already underway. Actions identified in the plan will be integrated into staff work planning and Council budget process moving forward, with reporting included as part of annual reporting processes.
The development of this Plan, completed by Sustainability Solutions Group, involved engagement with a number of individual residents, community groups and interest holders in Prince Rupert from across the spectrum of environmental non-profits, to emergency services, to businesses and Indigenous organizations. We thank everyone who took time out to speak with our consultants and provide feedback on priorities. The plan is also a complement to the Community Energy and Emissions Plan adopted in 2017 posted on our website, which identifies additional priorities that are more targeted at reducing emissions from municipal activities.
The project was 100% funded through the Union of BC Municipalities Disaster Risk Reduction-Climate Adaptation grant stream of their Community Emergency Preparedness fund. A copy of the full plan is available on the City’s website.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Veronika Stewart, Manager of Communications, Engagement & Social Development
City of Prince Rupert
Office: (250) 627 0976
Email: communications@princerupert.ca