Windsor

'Symbolic' motion commits Windsor to climate change emergency

Present during the climate change emergency discussion were local residents, as well as environmental specialists.

Windsor joins more than 400 communities across Canada with its declaration

City of Windsor councillors declared a climate change emergency at Monday evening's council meeting, joining over 400 communities across Canada. (Katerina Georgieva/CBC)

Windsor city councillors unanimously agreed at Monday evening's council meeting to declare a climate change emergency. 

Present during the climate change emergency discussion were local residents, as well as environmental specialists, including Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) climate change specialist Claire Sanders and Citizens Environmental Alliance (CEA) research and policy co-ordinator Derek Coronado, as well as representatives from the Windsor Law Cities and Climate Action Forum. 

"We know that there's more to be done," said Sanders, expressing her organization's support for the city's climate change declaration.

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens also expressed support for the climate change declaration, saying that such a decision would be on par with the city's existing climate goals. 

"This motion to me is symbolic," said Dilkens, adding "this just will cement in the minds of folks that we're committed to it."

With the declaration, Windsor joins more than 400 communities across Canada that have done so, including Chatham-Kent. 

Chatham-Kent councillors voted to do so in their community in June. 

With files from Katerina Georgieva