The City of Calgary voted to declare a climate emergency on Nov. 16 and that could mean changes for the city and its citizens.
Living a sustainable lifestyle means cutting down on how much Calgarians consume, says Denise Carbol, an environmental strategist with the city. According to Carbol, Calgary has one of the highest ecological footprints in Canada and also globally.
Green Calgary co-ordinator, Grace Wark, agrees, saying knowing one’s household footprint and working to decrease it, is essential to living a sustainable lifestyle.
“It means taking a look at the waste that you have, how much of it is going into your green and your blue carts, how much of it is going into your black cart and then starting to set little targets for yourself throughout the year ,” says Wark.
Wark says that creating a zero-waste home happens in small, tangible steps rather than all at once. For instance, switching to refillable shampoo and soaps.
However, sustainability isn’t just citizens’ responsibility. Investing in infrastructure, transportation and community density projects is essential for city planners, says Carbol.
Despite the work that Calgary has already conducted to provide these green resources, there is still more improvement to be done.