City of Saskatoon Greenhouse Gas Emissions

  Status: Needs Improving

Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are linked to climate change which is predicted to increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, and storms. The City of Saskatoon local government (City) has a role to play in reducing GHGs from its own operations and showing leadership in our community.

In 2022, Saskatoon City Council updated its long-term GHG reduction target to net-zero by 2050.

The City's 2022-2025 Strategic Plan includes the following key actions within the Environmental Sustainability and  Civic Assets priority areas:

• Implement climate actions in the Low Emissions Community Plan and the Corporate Adaptation Strategy within proposed timelines.
• Develop initiatives to improve energy conservation and efficiency in buildings, transportation and land use planning.
• Develop initiatives to increase the use of renewable energy or low emissions energy sources and promote opportunities for property owners to generate their own electricity from renewable sources.
• Review existing design standards for civic assets and incorporate improvements that support Triple Bottom Line considerations, including life cycle costing, equity principles and climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Where are we now?

Planning for climate action begins with understanding the sources of our GHG emissions. The most recent GHG emissions inventory shows that City emissions decreased by 7%, or by approximately 14,800 tonnes CO₂e, between 2014 and 2023. The decrease was driven by emissions reductions in the Buildings, Streetlighting, and Water & Wastewater sectors. City emissions represent approximately 6% of the community's emissions total. More details on the 2023 Corporate GHG emissions inventory are available in the 2023 Climate Action Progress Report.