Saskatoon has been recognized as one of seven Canadian cities taking bold leadership on environmental action and transparency.
The Bridge City made CDP’s 2021 “A” list of 95 cities across the globe.
In order to score an A, CDP said a city must have set emissions reduction and renewable energy targets — as well as publicly published climate action plan.
The list is based on environmental data disclosed by the cities.
“Disclosing information is a critical step towards taking the right action, and towards cities and governments at all levels developing the right climate change policies,” Mayor Charlie Clark said in the press release on Thursday.
“What gets measured, gets managed. Saskatoon is committed to managing its environmental risks and impact, and building a safe and secure city for people to live and work in.”
In 2021, 965 cities received a score from CDP. A-list cities are taking twice as many measures as non-A List cities. They also identify more than twice as many opportunities.
The City of Saskatoon noted its loan program to help resident improve energy performance of their homes, and the upcoming 2.2 megawatt Dundonald Avenue solar farm.
The other six in Canada to make the list were Calgary, Toronto and Kitchener, Ont., Vancouver, Surrey, B.C., and the district municipality of Saanich, B.C.
“We’re proud to be among the seven Canadian cities leading the way on climate action,” the city’s sustainability director Jeanna South said in a statement.
“The actions in our climate action plan will guide the city and community over the next 30 years to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make Saskatoon more resilient against the changing climate.”
The city said actions need to go further and faster to meet the new targets agreed at the UN Climate Change Conference, COP26, held in Scotland earlier this month.
According to CDP’s website, it’s a not-for-profit charity, running a global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impacts.