My Journey to Net Zero Emissions

by Christian Tham
Municipal Program Specialist, LAS

When Bill-C12 received Royal Assent in the summer of June 2021, it opened a new chapter in the history of climate change in Canada. For the first time, there is a legislative mandate for Canadians to meet their net zero/GHG emission targets. In other words, achieving net zero emission is no longer something nice to do or have as an organization, but it is the law!

My personal journey to net zero emissions began over two decades ago when I enrolled in post-secondary education studying ‘Environment & Development’. Those were the early days of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The slogan, “Think Global, Act Local” was a mantra to which we strived to adhere. In the fall of 2008, when I had the coveted opportunity to make a presentation on climate change at the United Nations Expert Group meeting in New York, it was a dream come true because I had the platform to share our local climate change initiatives at a global level. 

It is interesting to note that it was the same trip to the United Nations in New York that served as a catalyst for the move to live and work in North America. I chose Ontario after many attractive offers in the U.S.  To understand the dynamics of climate change in the Canadian context, I pursued a graduate program in Environment & Sustainability at Western University.

This graduate program was the door opener to the municipal world. I was hired as Sustainability Coordinator/Energy Manager at the Municipality of Middlesex Centre. One of my first major assignments with the municipality was to develop a green fire station with energy independence as the focus.  The previous fire station was over a century old and had outgrown its capacity and function ability.

As a fresh graduate of Environment & Sustainability, the concepts of renewable energy came very handy and I made a few suggestions to the Fire Hall Building Committee, which comprised of councilors, municipal building officials, and other senior staff. 

After many deliberations my suggestions were accepted. The next hurdle was funding to accomplish a 10,000 sq/ft net zero energy/carbon neutral fire hall. The prospect of a green fire hall sounded like a noble achievement for a 17,000-resident municipality, but there were no funds to complete the project. 

My other role on the fire hall committee was to find funding. After writing funding proposals to a few organizations, our application to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities – Green Municipal Fund was successful. At last, our dream of building Canada’s first net zero energy fire hall was on track and it officially opened in December of 2017. 

The Coldstream Fire Hall has been successful in generating enough on-site renewable energy for the fire hall and the 3,000 sq/ft municipal office (in close proximity), with the remainder of green energy been fed into the provincial grid. 

Currently I am developing a net zero emission/carbon neutral energy training workshop to be offered to municipalities and broader public sector.

On a personal note, in March 2023 I switched my home air conditioning unit for a heat pump system. This is a hybrid system with my furnace, which will supplement the heat pump when outdoor temperatures reach -25 degrees Celsius. With incentives from the provincial government covering 70% of the cost of a brand-new heat pump, the switch was much easier financially. 

So far, the heat pump system is working great. Occupancy comfort has been one of the greatest benefits. In terms of cost, my utility bill in March revealed a reduction in my total energy (hydro/natural cost) cost. This summer, my two-tonne heat pump system will be put to the full test in terms of cooling. Stay tuned this fall for an update on my journey to net zero emission.