Electric cars, building retrofits in Yukon plan to fight climate change
The plan is to have one in six vehicles powered by electricity by the end of the decade
WHITEHORSE – Yukon says it could turn to electric vehicles and building retrofits to help fight climate change.
The northern territory says in a draft document that it needs to cut 264,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions to reach its target of a 30% reduction by 2030.
Transportation and heating account for three-quarters of the territory’s emissions and that’s where Yukon’s biggest initiatives are aimed.
They include a plan to have one in six vehicles powered by electricity by the end of the decade.
The territory also plans to encourage the use of clean diesel and biodiesel for medium- and heavy-duty trucks.
Other proposals include spending $30 million a year on retrofits to make buildings more energy efficient and having 40% of its heating powered by renewable resources by 2030.
The government says its plans will take the territory about three-quarters of the way to its target. It hopes the rest can be achieved through innovation and new technology.
The mining sector is to have separate targets based on emissions intensity, or how much carbon dioxide is released for every tonne of ore.
About 90% of Yukon’s electricity is already produced by hydro development.
