Learn about how local businesses are tackling issues of sustainability and climate change here in our community, and about the ways in which climate change is impacting our way of life here in the Kootenays.
Climate change describes a change in the average conditions in a region over a long period of time. These include warming temperatures and changes in precipitation, as well as the effects of Earth’s warming, such as:
Earth’s climate has constantly been changing, even long before humans came into the picture. However, scientists have attributed the acceleration of climate change in the last ~150 years to the emissions of atmospheric warming greenhouse gases from human activity.
Yes. When human activities create greenhouse gases, our planet warms.
This matters because oceans, land, air, plants, animals and energy from the Sun all have an effect on one another. The combined effects of all these things give us our global climate. In other words, Earth’s climate functions like one big connected system.
When we take this systems perspective in thinking about climate change, we can start to see how small changes in one place can contribute to big changes in other places.
If we in the Kootenays focus on reducing emissions and working towards the goals of the Nelson Next Community Climate Plan, we can take positive steps towards mitigating the worst effects of climate change for everyone. If we choose not to, we are not only harming ourselves, but also those elsewhere in the world who might be more vulnerable.
Sustainability refers to the process of living within the limits of available physical, natural and social resources in ways that allow for us to meet our needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own.
The Chamber takes into consideration the interdependence of the environmental, social and economic systems in our approach to sustainability.
Taking concrete steps on issues such as waste, energy, transportation and advocacy, can reduce your business’ carbon footprint and impact on our environment. To find resources and ideas on how your business can tackle these issues, visit the Climate Mitigation section of our website or contact the Business & Climate Advisor today!
Additional Steps You Can Take:
Remote work has taken off over the past few years, allowing employees to have work-life flexibility and substantially reducing their time spent commuting.
This is great for the environment. Fewer cars on the road, idling in traffic, equates to less carbon dioxide being emitted. Additionally, with fewer people in the office, companies can save money usually spent stocking, lighting and heating the workplace.
For all those paper items commonly used, such as rolls of toilet paper and reams of printer paper, office managers can look for labeling that says it is made from post- or pre-consumer waste. Recycled products such as these maintain a circular economy and reduce overall waste.
For cleaning products, there is a whole cottage industry of green cleaners that don’t include toxic chemicals, opting instead for natural ingredients that work just as well. Using these products keeps toxic ingredients out of streams and landfills.
Websites use energy, too.
Luckily, companies can choose where their data is stored. More and more, eco-conscious companies are offsetting that energy usage to go carbon neutral.
Google has done a lot to decarbonize its data centres and claims that its cloud services produce zero net carbon emissions. And the largest cloud computing provider out there, Amazon, has promised to achieve the same by 2040 through wind and solar farms.
Carbon-neutral vendors and suppliers with sustainability front of mind can be found across every major industry.
For many small businesses, their supply chains will also have a big impact on their own footprint.
Changes in Earth’s climate have different effects in different areas of the world. Some places will warm much more than others, some regions will receive more rainfall, while others are exposed to more frequent droughts.
Nelson & Area is already experiencing hotter and drier summers; warmer and wetter winters; and more extreme weather, and these trends are expected to continue into the future.
On average, annual temperatures in the Columbia Basin have increased by 1.6ºC over the last century, and the rate of warming has increased to 3.1ºC per century over the last 5 decades. Annual average precipitation has increased by about 20% since the early 1900s, though the rates vary by location and season.
Looking ahead to the 2050s, current global climate models are projecting average annual temperatures to be 2.7ºC to 3.6ºC warmer compared to the recent past (1951 to 1980). Winter and summer precipitation are expected to change by as much as +19% and -24% respectively.
Without substantial global reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, Basin residents can expect, depending on their location, up to 42 more days per year with maximum daytime temperatures over 25ºC. In addition, the maximum precipitation falling on one day in any given year is projected to increase between 6% and 35%.
Wildfires, flooding, extreme storms, and water shortages all represent threats to the safety and well-being of our communities. These threats are anticipated to become more pronounced with climate change, which will either physically endanger our homes and buildings, or challenge our infrastructure’s ability to serve community needs.
Changing weather patterns present risks and opportunities for Basin businesses and the economy. Most vulnerable are enterprises that cannot adapt successfully to new climate and environmental conditions or transition to a low carbon economy. However, businesses and sectors that can capitalize on the new climate or support a transition away from fossil fuels are well positioned to succeed.
As temperature and precipitation patterns shift and change, ecosystems in the Basin can be expected to change, too. This includes more natural disturbances such as wildfire and pests, changes to the water cycle and water availability, and the emergence of new compositions of plant and animal species.
Climate change presents a risk to our health and lifestyles. Our physical and mental health will be increasingly challenged by rising temperatures (and related impacts, such as more frequent wildfires and the spread of vector-borne infectious diseases) and extreme weather events. Vulnerable individuals – the elderly, young children, those with chronic conditions – are at greater risk. Some cultural, recreation, and lifestyle practices may have to be adapted to new climate and environmental conditions.
**Localized information provided by Columbia Basin Climate Source
The Nelson and District Chamber of Commerce Business and Climate Advisor Program is presented in partnership with The Nelson and Area Economic Development Partnership and supported by Nelson & District Credit Union.
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