Stratford aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6%

The Town of Stratford committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to six per cent below 2015 levels by 2026 as part of its community energy plan.

In order to do that, given the town's estimated growth over the next nine years, people will likely have to reduce their per capita emissions by 35 per cent.

Mayor David Dunphy said the town will offer financial incentives to encourage residents to be more green.

"Initiatives that have financial incentives for people to change their behaviour — whether it's carpooling versus driving a vehicle, to retrofit their homes, purchase LED bulbs — those kinds of things," he said.

"We have to get some initiatives in place that will incentivize people's actions to be more energy efficient or to do things that will reduce their greenhouse gas emissions."

Dunphy said the town will start some pilot projects this year, and then will announce more incentives after the province releases its finalized energy strategy.

In 2015, Stratford's emissions total was 83,193 tonnes. With a population of 9,800 people, it worked out to about 8.44 tonnes per person.

The goal is to reduce the total emissions to 77,212 tonnes. With a projected population of 14,000 people in 2021, emissions would have to be 5.5 tonnes per person.

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