Halifax
HalifACT - Acting on Climate Together On
DURATION: Ongoing
POPULATION: 463,416 (Growth rate 1,76%)
TOPICS: CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPEMNT, SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, SOCIAL INTEGRATION, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
URA SCOPE: ECOLOGY. Green Urbanism, ECONOMY Urban Prosperity Beyond GDP, STRATEGY. Shared Vision
MAIN ACTORS:Halifax Regional Municipality
Halifax, an energetic coastal city with a rich maritime past, now faces a defining moment in its history. As climate change intensifies, rising seas and powerful storms threaten its shores, aging infrastructure struggles to keep up, and a car-dependent urban sprawl continues to drive emissions. But Halifax refuses to stand still.
The Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) is tackling the climate crisis with HalifACT, a plan for net-zero emissions by 2050. However, challenges like staffing shortages, car-centric urban planning, and funding issues hinder progress. Climate action requires long-term investment, but balancing financial resources with other priorities is tough. HalifACT isn’t just a plan—it’s a movement. Adopted unanimously in 2020, it’s one of Canada’s most ambitious climate action initiatives. To fund its implementation, Halifax made a bold choice—introducing a dedicated Climate Action Tax, raising property taxes by 4.6%, with 3% allocated to climate projects. This decision was fuelled by strong public support, with residents advocating for meaningful action.
With this funding, Halifax has created 20 new positions dedicated to climate initiatives, strengthened policies, and ensured that every sector plays a role—government, businesses, communities and academic institutions.
On the ground, the Climate Action Tax is powering real change—funding e-bikes for city staff, solar lighting in parks, electric buses, and even exploring a solar farm on an old landfill. Halifax is proving that cities, no matter their size, can be forces for climate action.
HalifACT’s key goals include reducing emissions by 75% from 2016 levels and reaching net-zero by 2050, achieving net-zero municipal operations by 2030 and implementing 46 actions across transportation, energy, waste, and urban planning. Efforts include converting 300+ municipal buildings and vehicle fleets to low-emission alternatives, expanding solar energy, and making coastal roads more resilient. The city is also enhancing stormwater management, emergency preparedness. Halifax’s determination is paying off. Since 2016, corporate emissions have dropped by 22.7%, and community-wide emissions by 10.7%.
Halifax’s climate journey is far from over. The city is pushing for green energy purchases, deeper energy retrofits, and large-scale renewable projects. It’s a fight that requires innovation, resilience, and collaboration. The message is clear: cities hold the power to drive global change.
Challenge & Context
Halifax, a city built by the sea, faces the harsh reality of climate change, with rising sea levels, fierce storms, and unpredictable weather threatening its infrastructure and communities. To tackle these challenges, the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) has adopted HalifACT, an ambitious plan to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
But the road is steep. Staffing shortages, due to budget constraints, delay critical climate projects, and urban planning still favours car-centric development, making it harder to prioritize sustainable transport. Urban sprawl fuels emissions, while securing long-term funding for the plan remains a struggle.
The introduction of the Climate Action Tax offers hope, but the city needs billions to climate-proof its future. Furthermore, without strong community engagement, the risk of leaving marginalized voices behind looms large.
To turn this vision into action, Halifax must align every policy with climate goals, mobilize resources, and ensure every resident plays a role. With the clock ticking, Halifax must invest, innovate, and unite to protect its future against the storm. The stakes are high—will Halifax rise to the challenge, or be swept away by inaction?
Solution Proposed
HalifACT, Halifax’s ambitious climate action plan, aims to build a resilient, sustainable future for Atlantic Canada by achieving a net-zero economy by 2050. Adopted in 2020, it is a comprehensive, science-based strategy grounded in proven technologies.
The plan sets targets to reduce community-wide emissions by 75% by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050, with municipal operations achieving net-zero by 2030. This bold vision requires significant effort, collaboration, and innovation, which is why Halifax introduced a Climate Action Tax in 2022, raising property taxes by 4.6%, with 3% dedicated to climate initiatives. This decision was supported by the public and stakeholders, leading to the creation of 20 new positions focused on implementing HalifACT.
The strategy includes 46 actions involving various partners—governments, businesses, and communities—to transform everything from municipal buildings to transportation, waste, and energy systems. Halifax is not just creating policies but also building partnerships, launching projects like stormwater management and resilience strategies, and engaging vulnerable communities in climate adaptation efforts.
By focusing on equity and inclusion, HalifACT is ensuring that no one is left behind in the fight against climate change.
Impact
Since 2016, Halifax has made remarkable strides in reducing emissions, with corporate emissions dropping by 22.7% and community emissions by 10.7%. These achievements are a testament to the city’s unwavering commitment to climate action. Recognition has followed, with Halifax consistently earning an A grade from the Carbon Disclosure Project, a prestigious benchmark for cities committed to transparency and accountability in climate reporting. The city’s efforts were honoured in 2023 when it received the Top Project award from Clean50, marking a milestone in its climate journey.
Halifax’s reputation is growing beyond national borders. The city was represented by Mayor Savage at COP27 and COP28, where he stood alongside the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in calling for stronger multilevel climate governance. Mayor Savage, also the chair of Canada’s Big City Mayors Caucus, is leading the charge for municipal climate action. In a historic moment for Halifax, Shannon Miedema, the Director of Environment & Climate Change, was selected to attend the IPCC’s Scoping initiative in Latvia in 2024, further cementing Halifax’s place on the global stage. This recognition reflects the growing acknowledgment that cities, like Halifax, are crucial to addressing climate change.
Locally, Halifax’s impact is tangible. The Climate Action Tax is fuelling projects that make a difference—e-bikes for parking officials, non-toxic undercoating for ferries to reduce emissions, solar lights in parks, and resilient coastal infrastructure.
The city has invested in its first 60 electric buses and is expanding electric Vehicle infrastructure. The Solar City Program, now incorporating deep energy retrofits, continues to lead the way in sustainable urban development. Through partnerships with local businesses and events, Halifax is setting the bar for green initiatives and renewable energy purchases.
Every step is a clear signal that Halifax is not just talking about change—it is making it happen.
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