Climate Action Plan

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We're developing a Climate Action Plan (CAP) to improve resilience to the changing climate. Climate mitigation and adaptation are critical to Whitehorse, given experience with its impacts. The City declared a climate change emergency in 2019 in response to these impacts, emphasizing the need for greater focus on reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and building capacity to plan, prepare, and respond to climate change.

Climate mitigation – also known as greenhouse gas mitigation – is about taking steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to slow global heating.

Climate adaptation means making changes to our built environment, our technologies, even our lifestyles, to ensure we can thrive in a changing climate.

The goals of the CAP are to:

  • Determine the extent to which climate change is already considered in our targets.

  • Develop a strategy for coordinating climate mitigation and adaptation actions throughout our short- and long-term planning.

Whitehorse is projected to experience an increase in heatwaves, extreme rainfall, higher winds, and wildfires. Cold snaps and annual freeze-thaw cycles are projected to decrease, while the number of snowstorms is projected to remain steady or decrease in frequency. These are only some of the ways climate change will impact us which is why this plan is so important.

We have completed the final phase of public engagement. Thank you to those who filled out the online survey to provide your feedback before the CAP is presented to Council. The What We Heard report is now published to reflect the details of the feedback received.

You can review the What We Heard report here and draft Climate Action Plan here.

We're developing a Climate Action Plan (CAP) to improve resilience to the changing climate. Climate mitigation and adaptation are critical to Whitehorse, given experience with its impacts. The City declared a climate change emergency in 2019 in response to these impacts, emphasizing the need for greater focus on reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and building capacity to plan, prepare, and respond to climate change.

Climate mitigation – also known as greenhouse gas mitigation – is about taking steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to slow global heating.

Climate adaptation means making changes to our built environment, our technologies, even our lifestyles, to ensure we can thrive in a changing climate.

The goals of the CAP are to:

  • Determine the extent to which climate change is already considered in our targets.

  • Develop a strategy for coordinating climate mitigation and adaptation actions throughout our short- and long-term planning.

Whitehorse is projected to experience an increase in heatwaves, extreme rainfall, higher winds, and wildfires. Cold snaps and annual freeze-thaw cycles are projected to decrease, while the number of snowstorms is projected to remain steady or decrease in frequency. These are only some of the ways climate change will impact us which is why this plan is so important.

We have completed the final phase of public engagement. Thank you to those who filled out the online survey to provide your feedback before the CAP is presented to Council. The What We Heard report is now published to reflect the details of the feedback received.

You can review the What We Heard report here and draft Climate Action Plan here.

  • What We Heard Report

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    The City of Whitehorse has released the What We Heard report for its draft Climate Action Plan (CAP).

    The What We Heard report details the public feedback on the draft CAP following the final round of public engagement in the summer of 2025.

    The draft CAP outlines a comprehensive strategy to address climate change with short and long-term goals as well as specific targets across seven key pillars:

    1. Transportation
    2. Buildings and Infrastructure
    3. Waste and Materials
    4. Natural Areas and Parks
    5. Emergency Management
    6. Community Education and Engagement
    7. Corporate Leadership

    The draft CAP aligns with several City plans, including the Whitehorse 2040 Official Community Plan and the Whitehorse Sustainability Plan.

    The What We Heard report informed final adjustments to the draft CAP to ensure it reflects community priorities and perspectives. The proposed CAP will be presented to City Council for consideration on September 2nd.

  • Upcoming Info Sessions

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    Visit our Key Dates sidebar to see upcoming events, and ways to get involved!
    Click here to take the survey and provide your feedback on the CAP.


    📅 Wednesday, May 28: Climate Action & Zoning Bylaw Rewrite Joint Open House
    📍Old Fire Hall
    🕜 5:30 to 7:30pm
    Learn about the draft Climate Action Plan and what changes the City proposes in the Zoning Bylaw.

    📅 Thursday, June 5: Info Session at the Fireweed Market
    📍Shipyards Park
    🕜 5 to 7pm
    Come down to learn about the draft Climate Action Plan.


    📅 Thursday, June 12: Info Session at the Fireweed Market
    📍Shipyards Park
    🕜 5 to 7pm
    Come down to learn about the draft Climate Action Plan.

  • Upcoming Info Sessions and Webinar

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    Visit our Key Dates sidebar to see upcoming events, and ways to get involved!

    📅 Friday, May 17: Climate Action & FireSmart joint Info Session
    📍CGC Boardroom
    🕜 2 to 5pm
    Learn about the draft Climate Action Plan and meet the City's FireSmart team to learn how to FireSmart your home.

    📅 Tuesday, May 21: Climate Action & Active Commute joint Info Session
    📍CGC Boardroom
    🕜 2 to 5pm
    Learn about the draft Climate Action Plan and what the City has planned for this year's Active Commute Week.

    📅 Wednesday, May 22: Climate Action Plan Webinar #2
    💻 Virtual on MS Teams (log in / password)
    🕜 7 to 8pm
    City staff and Stantec are hosting a webinar to provide a walk-through of the City's draft Climate Action Plan.

  • Recording of Jan 30 webinar

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    The first Climate Action Plan (CAP) webinar was recorded on January 30, 2024. Have a watch, and don't forget to take our survey. Closes on Feb 16.

    • introduction to the team
    • overview of the project
    • climate action context
    • explanation of the climate vulnerability assessment
    • discussion about corporate and community GHG emission
    • next steps

    A draft Climate Action Plan will be made available to the public this spring. More opportunities for engagement coming soon!

  • Meet the Climate Action Plan team

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    Join us on Tuesday, January 30 at 7 pm for our webinar and meet the Climate Action Plan team.

    MS Teams meeting, no registration required: Click here to join the meeting.

    The Climate Action Plan will:

    • Determine the extent to which climate change is already considered in our targets.

    • Develop a strategy for coordinating climate mitigation and adaptation actions throughout our short- and long-term planning.

    If you can't make the webinar, don't worry! We'll post the recording for you to watch at your convenience.

Page last updated: 02 Sep 2025, 05:15 PM