Understanding Calgary's Ecological Footprint

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Toward a Preferred Future

Understanding Calgary’s Ecological Footprint

Fall 2007

“The cities, power plants and homes we build today will either lock society into damaging over-consumption beyond our lifetimes, or begin to propel this and future generations towards sustainable living.” — James Leape, Director General, World Wildlife Fund

calgary.ca/footprint | call 3-1-1 Table of contents

Stepping lightly into the future 1 Working with the community to reduce The challenge 2 our Footprint is a Calgary’s demand on nature 3 Council priority.

Calgary’s Ecological Footprint by component 4

Canada’s Ecological Footprint and biocapacity 5

The Global Ecological Footprint 6

We are borrowing from the future 8

Creating a city that thinks differently... 9

Changing our course 10

Slow things first 11

Decision framework for sustainable development 12

Ecological Footprint Exchange 14

Mini-Footprints

Ride the wind: Calgary’s wind-powered CTrain 15

Housing and shelter 16 Ecological Footprint An infrastructure investment that enables Footprint reduction 18 supports achieving Planning projects that enable Footprint reduction 19 imagineCALGARY Ecological Footprint: frequently asked questions 20 targets and goals.

Purpose of this booklet

Reducing Calgary’s Ecological Footprint is a challenge we all share. Strategic, targeted and measurable action to address issues that threaten our quality of life into the future is both an immediate and long-term proposition. Footprint is a multi-dimensional tool to guide and measure these efforts.

The purpose of this booklet is to provide communities, organizations and The City of Calgary with information about the Footprint so we can collaborate to create meaningful change that reduces the demands we place on nature and helps ensure a high quality of life.

The City’s Ecological Footprint Project measures Calgary’s Footprint and engages citizens, business and government to take action. Visit calgary.ca/footprint for details and other publications. Stepping lightly into the future

Can we build on current Footprint reduction efforts by making decisions now to ensure sustainable development for the future?

In 2005, a Federation of Canadian Municipalities report stated that Calgary has the largest Ecological Footprint in Canada. Ecological Footprint measures the amount of resources we consume and compares this to nature’s ability to provide these resources and absorb waste. Currently, the Earth can no longer keep up with our demand. We are turning resources into waste faster than nature can turn waste back into resources.

The City of Calgary is showing genuine environmental leadership by implementing corporate policies and decision making frameworks targeted at making Footprint reduction a priority:

ImagineCALGARY, the creation of a 100-year vision and 30-year targets and strategies for long-range urban sustainability.

Eighty per cent waste diversion from landfill by 2020. Calgary Climate Change Action Plan Target Minus 50. Water Efficiency Plan to reduce per capita water use by 30 per cent in 30 years.

Plan It Calgary sustainable land use and transportation objectives (an integrated land use and mobility plan).

Strategies within the Sustainable, Environmental and Ethical Procurement policy.

EnviroSystem, The City of Calgary’s ISO 14001 Future-proofing Calgary Environmental Management System registration. means committing to The Triple Bottom Line policy. secure Calgary’s economic Sustainable Building Policy. Creation of the Ecological Footprint Project. competitiveness and quality of life during times As demand currently exceeds supply, we will need to accelerate change that ensures a sustainable future. when resources become unavailable or too expensive. 1 The challenge

Can we reduce our Ecological Footprint while preserving a high quality of life?

Human population and its economies continue to grow, yet our Human demand on the biosphere: 1.5 planet remains the same size. These increases put more and Ecological Footprint 1961 – 2003 more pressure on Earth’s living systems and create a demand for more resources than the planet can support. If we continue Current resource demand to use ecological resources 30 per cent faster than the Earth Overshoot: can regenerate them, we will erode the biological productivity on human demand has which our well being depends. exceeded the capacity the Earth can sustain { 1.0 In order to preserve the Earth’s ability to provide us with what Earth’s ecological capacity we need to live, we must take action to reduce the demands we place on nature. The Ecological Footprint: Humanity’s food, fibre, built-land and nuclear Footprint Provides a way to measure human demand on nature.

Offers a metric to evaluate potential actions directed at Number of planet Earths 0.5 future-proofing our cities and economies.

Helps set targets and chart actions to reduce our Footprint. Carbon dioxide portion of humanity’s Ecological Footprint Allows us to keep track of the resources we consume and the waste we generate.

Serves as an indicator of whether we’re living within 0.0 nature’s ability to provide resources or whether we have 1961 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 exceeded that limit.

Show the level of change necessary to achieve sustainable development.

Ecological Footprint accounting works much like financial budgeting and accounting: it allows us to see whether or not we are living within our means. 2 Calgary’s demand on nature

Will our current actions manoeuver us into resource-intensive legacies or can we integrate ecological limits into business planning?

In October 2007, early results of a new baseline calculation of 1.4 World Ecological Footprint 1961 – 2001 Calgary’s Ecological Footprint clearly suggest there is more work to be done. Calgary’s Ecological Footprint is currently estimated 1.2 Humanity’s total to be between 9.5 and 9.9 global hectares (Gha) per person. Ecological Footprint This exceeds the Canadian average of 7.6 Gha per person and is well beyond the global available average of 1.8 Gha per person. 1.0 When our demand for resources is greater than supply we are Earth’s biological capacity in overshoot. 0.8 The largest component of Calgary’s Ecological Footprint is energy use, which includes the carbon component and makes up over 50 per cent of our Footprint. The carbon component, a contributor to 0.6 Number of Earths climate change, reflects CO2 emissions from fossil fuels used for transportation, electricity, residential heat and hot water. 0.4

Imported goods consumed by Calgarians are considered a component of Calgary’s Footprint. Goods exported from Calgary 0.2 become a component of the Footprint for people in other countries who consume those exported goods. 0.0 The ability to reduce the Footprint is directly affected by 1961 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 infrastructure and planning decisions. To reduce energy use we ■ ■ ■ Built land Nuclear energy CO2 from fossil fuels can build a transit-oriented, compact, mixed-use city, reduce ■ Fishing ground ■ Forest ■ Grazing land ■ Cropland reliance on vehicles, design pedestrian-friendly communities with certified ‘green’ construction, reduce waste, increase reuse/ recycling and promote alternative energy technologies and delivery systems. If we build smaller, more energy-efficient homes, green technology buildings, take steps to increase how efficiently homes and businesses operate and choose low emission sources Footprint reductions allow of energy, we can reduce the Footprint. Calgarians to ensure they can maintain a high quality of life even as the resource costs increase and supply decreases. 3 Calgary’s Ecological Footprint by component

What components are measured to calculate Calgary’s Ecological Footprint?

CO2 Area – area required to sequester carbon emissions Built land Fisheries produced by fossil fuel combustion, fossil fuel energy used to 1.91 % 1.71 % produce and transport food (crops and animals), manufacture Forest and transport building materials and to construct and 11.04 % operate buildings, transport people and goods and operate infrastructure, manufacture and transport consumer goods and Pasture services and operate facilities that provide them. land 5.02 % To reduce the Footprint citizens can buy energy efficient Energy appliances, replace incandescent light bulbs with compact Cropland 66.27 % fluorescent ones, purchase green power from your local 14.06 % supplier, take public transit and drive energy efficient vehicles.

Cropland – area required to grow crops for food and animal feed and to produce consumer goods (e.g. textiles and rubber).

Pasture land – area required to graze animals and produce associated goods and services (e.g. leather and milk).

To reduce the Footprint citizens can choose locally grown organic food and replace the number of meat-based meals with a vegetarian alternative.

Built land – area required to develop infrastructure for housing, transportation, industrial production, public and private buildings and services (i.e. parks, airports, schools, shops, offices, parking lots, etc.).

Forest land – area required to grow timber to produce building materials and associated goods and services (e.g. paper and furniture). Key local indicators for

To reduce the Footprint we can use technology to reduce energy, water, waste, printing, purchase paper with a high recycled content and biodiversity, planning and default printers to two-sided, purchase items with less packaging, ensure our business and homes have recycling infrastructure are also programs and divert unwanted materials to organizations that could re-use them. tracked to strengthen Calgary’s Footprint Fisheries – Total ocean area required for marine and freshwater fishing. measurement system. 4 Canada’s Ecological Footprint and biocapacity

At what point will we face the risk of having to import biocapacity to meet Canadian consumption demands?

Canada’s Footprint by component shows 30 Canada’s biocapacity by component (supply) that if everyone on Earth consumed 7.6 global hectares like the average Canadian, humanity would need 4 ¼ 25 planets to support itself.

Calgarians consume at a rate even 20 higher than the Canadian average. ■ Fishing ground At 2007 levels, humanity would need ■ Built land five Earths to support the lifestyle of 15 ■ Forest the average Calgarian! ■ Grazing land ■ Cropland Biocapacity is the amount of biologically 10 productive area available and the per person Global hectares productivity yield of that area. Demand is the product of population 5 size, consumption per person and resource intensity. 00 Canada’s biocapacity, by component, 1961 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 shows that as demand for resources increases, the supply of available 10 biocapacity is reduced. Canada’s Ecological Footprint by component (demand)

Continued consumption at this rate is not sustainable. Immediate action is needed 8 to adopt practices that reduce what we are borrowing from the future. ■ Nuclear ■ Carbon As our demand for resources decreases 6 ■ the supply available, we have less room Built land to maneuver in our efforts to sustain a ■ Fishing ground high quality of life. ■ Grazing land 4 ■ Forest

Global hectares per person Global hectares ■ Cropland

0 1961 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001

5 The Global Ecological Footprint

How close is the world to meeting the challenge of sustainable development, to “improving the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity of

supporting ecosystems?” Source: IUCN et al., 1991 Calgary 15 ■ Built land ■ Food, fibre and timber ■ Energy

12 Canada

6 Global hectares per person Global hectares

In 2003, bioacapcity was 1.8 global hectares per person including the area needed for all wild species. 3

0 Iran Iraq Italy Mali USA Haiti Peru Laos India Togo Syria Chile Cuba Chad Niger Libya Israel Brazil Spain Benin China Egypt Nepal Latvia Japan Kenya Sudan Eritrea Ghana Turkey Congo Gabon Bolivia Yemen Russia Liberia Ireland Kuwait France Jordan Algeria Tunisia Angola Austria Poland Guinea Nigeria Malawi Greece Croatia Mexico Finland Estonia Albania Zambia Belarus Norway Ukraine Calgary Canada Gambia Uganda Burundi Georgia Somalia Sweden Senegal Lesotho Vietnam Panama Ethiopia Rwanda Namibia Armenia Bulgaria Ecuador Jamaica Hungary Uruguay Slovakia Portugal Slovenia Thailand Pakistan Lebanon Australia Tanzania Malaysia Romania Morocco Denmark Germany Lithuania Mauritius Mongolia Tajikistan Sri Lanka Myanmar Paraguay Colombia Argentina Honduras Indonesia Botswana Venezuela Swaziland Nicaragua Cambodia Cameroon Zimbabwe Azerbaijan Mauritania Guatemala Costa Rica Philippines Macedonia Uzbekistan Kyrgyzstan El Salvador Switzerland Kazakhstan Bangladesh Afghanistan Netherlands Cote dIvoire South Africa Madagascar Korea DPRP Korea Sierra Leone Saudi Arabia Mozambique New Zealand Burkina Faso Turkmenistan Guinea-Bissau Belgium & Lux. Korea Republic Korea Czech Republic United Kingdom Congo Dem Rep Moldova Republic Papua New Guinea Central African Rep Bosnia Herzegovina Dominican Republic Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad Serbia & Montenegro United Arab Emirates 6 While Canadians benefit from great ecological wealth, we also have one of the highest levels of resource consumption per person when compared to people around the globe. With the fourth highest per capita carbon Footprint of any country, Canada is contributing to the global climate change that affects its own economy, social well-being and climate-sensitive species and ecosystems.

Global Footprint calculations provide accurate information about our demand for ecological resources, and where we fit in the global context. Calgary depends on resources from other countries, and those countries rely on Canadian resources as well. Consequently, Calgary’s Ecological Footprint must always be seen in both the global and local context. Future decision making can apply Footprint knowledge to make choices that can construct a successful and sustainable future.

Living within the carrying capacity of the planet, in Footprint terms, means that the average person’s Footprint is less than 1.8 global hectares, the biocapacity currently available per person on the planet. To attain true sustainability, we must lower our Footprint along with achieving a high standard of living: adequate health care, comprehensive education, a stable economy and broad cultural freedom.

With the fourth highest

Calgary per capita carbon Footprint 15 ■ Built land ■ Food, fibre and timber of any country, Canada ■ Energy is contributing to global climate change.

12 Canada

6 Global hectares per person Global hectares

In 2003, bioacapcity was 1.8 global hectares per person including the area needed for all wild species. 3

In a world that’s already in overshoot, where will we look to meet our needs?

The margin between supply (yellow line in the graph) and Ecological Footprint and biocapacity trends demand (red line in the graph) is shrinking. This means that (per person) nature’s biocapacity (green line in the graph) to supply the 30 Canada's Ecological World biocapacity resources needed to meet human demand is being reduced. Footprint (demand) (supply) Canada's biocapacity Current trends indicate that as the average Canadian’s Footprint (supply) increases, we are using more and more of the biocapacity 24 available within Canada’s borders.

Canadians’ high average Footprint will not only remain 18 significantly greater than the global biocapacity available per capita, but the time will come when our country may no longer be able to export biocapacity, which is a significant economic engine. In a world that is already in overshoot, where will we look 12 to meet our needs? Global hectares per person Global hectares 6

0 1961 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001

For business planning, consider the Triple Bottom Line: how resource- dependent does a choice make us? How does the choice influence the quality and health of people and the environment? 8 Creating a city that thinks differently...

Can Footprint become an effective tool for community engagement, measuring our impact and planning for the future?

The Ecological Footprint Project framework consists of three In October, 2007 early results from a new baseline calculation components in a continual improvement cycle aimed at reducing of Calgary’s Ecological Footprint provided information regarding the Calgary’s Footprint. how every aspect of our Footprint, both now and into the future, could be significantly affected by infrastructure and land-use Measuring Calgary’s Ecological Footprint. planning decisions made today. Enabling and empowering action. Building on The City’s corporate success, the Ecological Community dialogue and engagement. Footprint Project is engaged in community dialogue and Ecological Footprint provides a planning and measurement engagement work with internal City business units and tool that enables and empowers meaningful action. Some external partners to enable Footprint reductions in Calgary. examples include: Through partners such as the Calgary Board of Education As demand outpaces and Education Matters, The City is supporting a student-led recycling program that will reduce the amount supply we have less of school waste that is landfilled, along with a water room to manoeuver. conservation program that helped students measure water use and take steps to reduce consumption at their school. Incremental changes

The Eco-Footprint Exchange website, which provides to current practice a network of organizations that support Footprint may not be enough. reduction efforts.

We can continue to use renewable energy, reduce energy consumption and the production of greenhouse gases, introduce a curbside recycling program and continue efforts to conserve water.

9 Changing our course

How do we apply ecological limits to decision-making such that societal choices allow for immediate and long-term reduction of overshoot?

If humanity remains on its current course, by 2050 we will The City’s existing commitment to projects to reduce the be using ecological resources at twice the rate the Earth Footprint is recognized nationally and internationally, placing can generate them, according to moderate-level United Calgary in the forefront of a growing global network of cities Nations projections of increases in population, food and fibre intent on achieving environmental excellence.

consumption, CO2 emissions and agricultural productivity.

If trends are not reversed, either by a slow shift or a rapid reduction, 1.8 we could damage the Earth’s ability to provide the resources and UN’s most life-support systems on which we all depend. Eliminating overshoot 1.6 moderate scenario means closing the gap between human demand and Earth’s supply. While increasing ecosystem productivity may help, reducing 1.4 humanity’s global Footprint is essential. 1.2 Calgary has started to invest in a sustainable future. Initiatives such as the Plan It Calgary demonstrate that it’s becoming 1.0 increasingly normal to apply ecological limits to decision- making, creating choices for reducing the Footprint, both 0.8 now and in the future. Structures that continue to enable City administration to leverage these City actions into community 0.6

initiatives will motivate others to engage in actions that advance Number of planet Earths environmental stewardship. 0.4 Rapid reduction Slow shift

City and community action should engage Calgarians in 0.2 Moderate business as usual collaborative community engagement strategies that take Footprint Earth’s biocapacity targeted, comprehensive action and: 0.0 1960 1980 2000 2020 2040 2060 2080 2100 Link directly to imagineCALGARY targets. Incorporate existing policies and procedures into daily operations.

Apply Footprint as an effective tool for both measurement and planning.

Integrate key local indicators and local data sources to ensure local relevancy.

Consider community priorities and business objectives. Provide deeper insight on what Calgarians can do to reduce the per capita Footprint through enabling and Ecological Footprint is the empowering engagement activities. common denominator for Be developed in collaboration with the community and City business units. a wide range of existing

Apply Mini-Footprints as an effective Footprint measure environmental actions, and planning tool for single activities or scenarios. targets and plans. 10 Slow things first

Can we make decisions today to create structures and neighbourhoods which will reduce the Footprint for the next 100 years?

Considering the rapid escalation of overshoot and the slow rate at which human institutions, land-use patterns, and infrastructure change, the most critical action steps must focus on decisions that will be with us for many years. These decisions will shape community consumption patterns and determine success in reducing our Footprint for years to come. Planning and infrastructure decisions made today Human-made infrastructure — homes, roads, office structures, power plants, dams, transportation — may last 50 or even 100 years. Not only do infrastructure decisions determine citizen require resources to build, they also dictate how we use resources over their entire lifecycle. behaviour for much of Mini-Footprints, a tool for evaluating a variety of options, can inform decisions on evaluating the long-term implications of options that will affect our Footprint into the future. the rest of the century.

2 Car (US avg: 9 years) Nuclear power station (US/Europe: 40 years) Long-term waste

Highway (25-50 years) Amount of overshoot Bridge (30-75 years) 1 Coal power station ((30-75 years)

Human (national avg.: 32-82 years) Number of planet Earths

Commercial building design (50-100 years) Footprint (demand) Housing, railway and dam Biocapacity (supply) (50-150 years) 0 1960 1980 2000 2020 2040 2060 2080 2100 2006

11 Decision framework for sustainable development

How do we use the Human Development Index and Footprint to consider the Triple Bottom Line: social, economic and environmental implications of options?

Consider the options. How resource dependent does any option make us? How does any option influence quality of life and human well-being? How does any option affect the health of the environment? Combined, how much per dollar invested does any option move us towards our goal of living well and living within the Earth’s constraints?

To enable Calgary to provide for a high quality of life and a vibrant economy without a large Footprint, future decision making and budgeting must consider global overshoot and support initiatives that reduce the Footprint. This future-proofing emerges out of coordinated municipal planning, budgeting and policy choices, changes in personal lifestyles and corporate actions.

Together, the Human Development Index and Ecological Footprint can be used as an outcomes-based planning framework to consider the economic, social and environmental implications of planning choices or options.

Resolving environmental issues requires a consistent long-term approach, combining education, awareness, incentives, regulation and partnerships with a goal of changing the values that drive behaviour. 12 The United Nations Human Development Index and Ecological Footprint illustrate that sustainable development is successful when there is a low Footprint and high quality social structures that have adequate healthcare, comprehensive education, a stable economy and broad cultural freedom. The concept provides a measurable way to implement the triple bottom line: social, economic and environmental well-being.

The goal is to consider options that move us toward the target of sustainable development.

For example, Option A could be the option to widen an existing roadway which would increase the number of vehicles and fuel consumed while continuing to contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. This would mean we are accepting an option that continues along a path that exceeds the Earth’s biocapacity to sustain our demands.

Option B could be to invest in transit expansion. This option would reduce our demands on nature, support a diverse and vibrant city and help ensure the sustainable consumption of the Earth’s resources.

Human Development Index and Ecological Footprint 12.00 Exceeds biosphere’s capacity, high development

Option A 10.00 Calgary

Minimum threshold for human development 8.00 Option B

6.00

Dots refer to Ecological Footprint 4.00 of countries Global average available (biocapicty per person)

Ecological Footprint (hectares per person) Ecological Footprint (hectares with no area set aside for wild species

2.00

Target World average biocapacity Sunstainable available per person development 0.00 0.00 0.50 1.00 Human development index

13 Ecological Footprint Exchange

How does The City partner with the community to support Footprint reductions?

One example of a City initiative that connects The City with Energy – ENMAX Green Energy and Infrastructure Services the community is the Ecological Footprint Exchange (EFX). The City of Calgary has entered into an electricity This City of Calgary website provides a network that links supply agreement with ENMAX to purchase green organizations interested in reducing their Footprint. An analysis power over a 20-year term. The agreement requires of the members of the EFX shows that The City is demonstrating that at least 75 per cent of The City’s electricity leadership in enabling partnerships and brokering City initiatives purchase comes from green electricity sources into the community. For example: beginning in 2007, with the ability to increase Waste – The Calgary Materials Exchange (CMEX) at Clean the purchase target to at least 90 per cent green Calgary is connected with Waste & Recycling Services. electricity by 2012.

CMEX assists companies throughout Calgary to divert industrial, commercial and construction waste going to landfill by working to build 60 ■ The City of Calgary’s Initiatives relationships between companies and provide opportunities and information to facilitate ■ Total exchanges of material for reuse and recycling. 50

Water – The Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST) and Water Resources 40

The World Water Day Youth Summit is an annual event that is co-ordinated by the CAWST and 30 sponsored by The City of Calgary Water Resources. Number of initiatives This full-day event, designed to motivate youth to take action on local and international water issues, 20 serves as a starting point for water conservation activities that span the entire year. Each planning 10 team develops their own idea for making a difference, design a project plan and receives some seed funding. This program provides an 0 opportunity to engage youth, to support actions on Food Waste water conservation and help reduce the Ecological Energy services Land and Water and Water Footprint. wastwater Goods and Biodiversity Transportation Construction development management Footprint theme areas Visit calgary.ca/footprint to learn more about the Ecological Footprint Exchange.

Ecological Footprint is a multi-dimensional tool that can be used as a vehicle for education and change. 14 Mini-Footprint (1) Ride the Wind: Calgary’s wind-powered CTrain

The Ride the Wind program began in 2001. Calgary Transit is proud to be the first North American Light Rail Transit system to power its trains with emission-free, wind-generated electricity. Although the train still consumes energy to operate, wind power produces virtually no greenhouse gas emissions when compared to fossil fuel generated power. Hence, since no biocapacity is required to absorb waste CO2, the Ecological Footprint of the train is reduced. By taking the CTrain, a person contributes to reducing Calgary’s Footprint.

Wind power for the CTrain results in the reduction of 23,382 tons of CO2 emissions per year.

The community’s total Ecological Footprint is reduced by 6,329 global hectares per year by using wind produced energy. This land area is similar to preserving a forested area 6.5 times the size of Nose Hill Park every year.

This investment in Footprint reduction translates into a 14 per cent savings of the urban transportation Footprint.

Reference note This data incorporated a full, life-cycle approach including coal- fired production and electricity transmission. Emissions from mining and transportation of coal have not been included. Factors

for CO2 generation are based upon the generation at the power plant and not the Alberta average which includes a mix of coal, hydro and renewable sources. 15 Mini-Footprint (2) Housing and shelter

Building f orm Energy, pollution and external cost to Socie ty Schedules Sho r t- and long-term costs = 5 Households Width of Bar = = Carbon Dioxide (tons) - Global Warming = Additional Research All of these figures are based on cost estimates created for each conceptual building model. All costs = Energy Consumed by Amount of Energy = Sulfur Dioxide (lbs.) - Acid Rain = Design shown have been adjusted from actual cost estimates to reflect a $10 million Market Building as a baseline. the Building Required = Nitrogen Dioxide (lbs.) - Smog = Construction The Net Present Values indicated represent 30-, 60- and-100 year cost models that are based on 5% cost of = Energy Generated by = Particulate Matter < 10 Microns (lbs.) - Air Quality capital, 1-1/2% inflation rate and 5% annual increase in energy costs. the Building Height of Bar = % of Energy Obtained from the Grid

Pollution from

Energy to Operate Building External Cost to Furniture, Fixtures Design and N Living Building Plan Wall Section Building Grid Reliance Operation (20 yr.) Society (20 yr.) Schedule Construction Cost and Equipment Management Fees Net Present Value Living Building · 3 Story Building 100% 18000 15 17000 100 Year Building 14 90% 16000 · Concrete Frame 89 13 45' Wings 15000 80% 12 Add'l Research Solar Orientation · Raised Access Flooring 14000 $0 $12.9 m $1.7 m $2.0 m $18.7 m 13000 11 70% Natural Daylighting · Sun Shades 12000 10 ® 30 Year Model 11000 Living Machine 60% 9 Design Natural Ventilation 10000 · Operable Windows 8 50% 9000 45' Wings Living Machine® 7 $19.6 m 8000 13'-6" · Partially Daylit 40% 7000 6 Increase in Photovoltaics (100%) 60 Year Model Parking Construction 6000 5 30% 5000 Design For Deconstruction · Living Machine 4 4000 20% 3 3000 Reduce Life Cycle Impacts of All $20.8 m TM TM · Photovoltaics (100%) 2 10% 2000 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Building Materials 1000 1 100 Year Model 2002 2003 2004 2005

0% 0 0 CO SO NO PM LEED Platinum LEED Platinum 2 2 2 10

100% 18000 15 100 Year Building 17000 · 3 Story Building 14 90% 16000 89 13 45' Wings 15000 · Concrete Frame Add'l Research 80% 12 $0.7 m $12.1 m $1.7 m $18.3 m 14000 $1.6 m Solar Orientation 13000 11 · Raised Access Flooring 70% 30 Year Model Natural Daylighting 12000 10 100 Year Building 11000 · Sun Shades 60% 9 Design 10000 Natural Ventilation 8 45' Wings · Operable Windows 50% 9000 $23.7 m 8000 7 13'-6" Increase in Photovoltaics (20%) 60 Year Model · Partially Daylit 40% 7000 6 Construction 6000 5 30% Parking 5000 Additional Window Shading 4 4000 20% $62.2 m · Photovoltaics (20%) 3 3000 Additional Concrete Massing TM 2 100 Year Model TM 10% 2000 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 1000 1 2002 2003 2004 2005

0% 0 0 LEED Gold CO2 SO2 NO2 PM10 LEED Gold

100% 18000 15 80 Year Building 17000 · 3 Story Building 14 90% 16000 65' Wings 150 13 15000 · Concrete Frame 80% $1.3 m Add'l Research $1.5 m 12 $11.5 m $1.6 m $18.5 m Solar Orientation 14000 13000 11 · Raised Access Flooring 70% 30 Year Model Natural Daylighting 12000 10 11000 · Sun Shades 60% 9 Design 80 Year Building 10000 8 · Operable Windows 50% 9000 65' Wings $27.8 m 8000 7 13'-0" 60 Year Model · Partially Daylit 40% 7000 6 Construction Increase in Photovoltaics (10%) 6000 5 30% Parking 5000 4 Concrete Frame Building 4000 · Photovoltaics (10%) 20% 3 $95.8 m 3000 TM 2 Partially Daylit Parking TM 10% 2000 100 Year Model Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 1000 1 2002 2003 2004 2005

0% 0 0 LEED Silver CO2 SO2 NO2 PM10 LEED Silver

100% 18000 15 60 Year Building 17000 · 3 Story Building 14 90% 16000 90' Wings 208 13 15000 · Steel Frame 80% Add'l Research Natural Daylighting 14000 12 $2.0 m $11.3 m $1.5 m $1.5 m $19.7m 13000 11 · Raised Access Flooring 70% 12000 10 30 Year Model 11000 · Sun Shades 60% 9 Design 60 Year Building 10000 8 · Operable Windows 50% 9000 $36.7 m 8000 7 90' Foot Wings - 3 Stories 13'-6" · Photovoltaics (5%) 40% 7000 6 60 Year Model Construction Raised Access Flooring 6000 5 30% 5000 4 4000 Sun Shades on South 20% 3 $166.9 m 3000 2 Photovoltaics (5%) TM TM 10% 2000 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 100 Year Model 1000 1 2002 2003 2004 2005

0% 0 0 LEED Certified CO2 SO2 NO2 PM10 LEED Certified

100% 18000 15 40 Year Building 17000 · 2 Story Building 14 90% 16000 120' Wings 250 13 15000 · Steel Frame 80% Big Box 14000 12 $2.5 m $10.1 m $1.4 m $1.3 m $19.6m 13000 11 · Efficient HVAC 70% 12000 10 30 Year Model 11000 Efficient HVAC · Lay-In Ceilings 60% 9 Design 10000 8 Collect 50% of Rainwater · Fixed Windows 50% 9000 $45.3 m 8000 7 40% 7000 6 50% of Materials that are Removed Construction 60 Year Model 6000 5 from Site are Recycled or Salvaged o undation 30% 5000 4 TM d F 4000 Material Selection Based on LEED 20% 3 $218.4 m 3000 2 10% 2000 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 acka r 100 Year Model 1000 1 2002 2003 2004 2005

0% 0 0 Market CO2 SO2 NO2 PM10 Market cile P 100% 18000

u 15 40 Year Building 17000 · 2 Story Building 14 90% 16000 120' Wings 461 13 · Steel Frame 15000 80% 12 $10.0 m $1.3 m $1.3 m $22.7 m Big Box 14000 $3.2 m vid and L 13000 11 · Typical HVAC 70% 30 Year Model 12000 10 11000 · Lay-In Ceilings 60% 9 Design Typical Class "A" Office Building

he D a 10000

T 8 · Fixed Windows 50% 9000 $62.9 m 8000 7 40% 7000 6 60 Year Model Construction 6000 5 30% 5000 4 t © 2002 4000 20% 3 3000 2 10% 2000 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 $348.9 m 1000 1 2002 2003 2004 2005 0% 0 0 100 Year Model Copyrig h CO2 SO2 NO2 PM10

16 Footprint reduction occurs at many levels. For example, building form, site design and regional location strongly influence resource consumption during construction and throughout its lifecycle. Capital outlays can be offset through reduced operational costs over the life of the development.

Also, the regional location and type of transportation infrastructure will drive human behaviour over the lifetime of the development.

About this table Building f orm Energy, pollution and external cost to Socie ty Schedules Sho r t- and long-term costs = 5 Households Width of Bar = = Carbon Dioxide (tons) - Global Warming = Additional Research All of these figures are based on cost estimates created for each conceptual building model. All costs = Energy Consumed by Amount of Energy = Sulfur Dioxide (lbs.) - Acid Rain = Design shown have been adjusted from actual cost estimates to reflect a $10 million Market Building as a baseline. This table represents a snapshot the Building Required = Nitrogen Dioxide (lbs.) - Smog = Construction The Net Present Values indicated represent 30-, 60- and-100 year cost models that are based on 5% cost of = Energy Generated by = Particulate Matter < 10 Microns (lbs.) - Air Quality capital, 1-1/2% inflation rate and 5% annual increase in energy costs. of the differences in economic and the Building Height of Bar = % of Energy Obtained environmental outcomes relative to from the Grid the type of building design ranging from a standard minimum building Pollution from code construction (‘Market’), through Energy to Operate Building External Cost to Furniture, Fixtures Design and N Living Building Plan Wall Section Building Grid Reliance Operation (20 yr.) Society (20 yr.) Schedule Construction Cost and Equipment Management Fees Net Present Value Living Building all LEED (Leadership in Energy and · 3 Story Building 100% 18000 15 17000 100 Year Building 14 90% 16000 Environmental Design) standards, to · Concrete Frame 89 13 45' Wings 15000 80% 12 Add'l Research Solar Orientation · Raised Access Flooring 14000 $0 $12.9 m $1.7 m $2.0 m $18.7 m 13000 11 70% 12000 the highest form of sustainable building Natural Daylighting · Sun Shades 10 ® 30 Year Model 11000 Living Machine 60% 9 Design Natural Ventilation · Operable Windows 10000 8 45' Wings 50% 9000 design (‘Living Building’). Living Machine® 7 $19.6 m 8000 13'-6" · Partially Daylit 40% 7000 6 Increase in Photovoltaics (100%) 60 Year Model Parking Construction 6000 5 30% 5000 Design For Deconstruction · Living Machine 4 4000 20% 3 3000 Reduce Life Cycle Impacts of All $20.8 m TM TM · Photovoltaics (100%) 2 2000 10% Building Materials The columns provide a visual reference Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 1000 1 100 Year Model 2002 2003 2004 2005

0% 0 0 CO SO NO PM LEED Platinum LEED Platinum 2 2 2 10

100% 18000 15 or data point based on design, energy 100 Year Building 17000 · 3 Story Building 14 90% 16000 89 13 45' Wings 15000 · Concrete Frame Add'l Research 80% 12 $0.7 m $12.1 m $1.7 m $18.3 m use and electrical grid reliance. The 14000 $1.6 m Solar Orientation 13000 11 · Raised Access Flooring 70% 30 Year Model Natural Daylighting 12000 10 100 Year Building 11000 60% 9 columns further quantify economic · Sun Shades Design 10000 Natural Ventilation 8 45' Wings · Operable Windows 50% 9000 $23.7 m 8000 7 13'-6" 40% Increase in Photovoltaics (20%) 60 Year Model factors for each design type such as · Partially Daylit 7000 6 Construction 6000 5 30% Parking 5000 Additional Window Shading 4 4000 20% $62.2 m the externalities (cost to society), total · Photovoltaics (20%) 3 3000 Additional Concrete Massing TM 2 100 Year Model TM 10% 2000 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 1000 1 2002 2003 2004 2005 0 schedule (time), construction, furnishing, 0% 0 LEED Gold CO2 SO2 NO2 PM10 LEED Gold

100% 18000 15 80 Year Building 17000 · 3 Story Building 14 design and management fees as well as 90% 16000 65' Wings 150 13 15000 · Concrete Frame 80% $1.3 m Add'l Research $1.5 m 12 $11.5 m $1.6 m $18.5 m Solar Orientation 14000 13000 11 Net Present Value based on 30, 60 and · Raised Access Flooring 70% 30 Year Model Natural Daylighting 12000 10 11000 · Sun Shades 60% 9 Design 80 Year Building 10000 8 100-year models. · Operable Windows 50% 9000 65' Wings $27.8 m 8000 7 13'-0" 60 Year Model · Partially Daylit 40% 7000 6 Construction Increase in Photovoltaics (10%) 6000 5 30% Parking 5000 4 Concrete Frame Building 4000 · Photovoltaics (10%) 20% 3 $95.8 m 3000 TM 2 Partially Daylit Parking TM 10% 2000 100 Year Model Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 1000 1 2002 2003 2004 2005

0% 0 0 LEED Silver CO2 SO2 NO2 PM10 LEED Silver

0% 0 0 LEED Certified CO2 SO2 NO2 PM10 LEED Certified

100% 18000 15 40 Year Building 17000 · 2 Story Building 14 The Mini-Footprint of 90% 16000 120' Wings 250 13 15000 · Steel Frame 80% Big Box 14000 12 $2.5 m $10.1 m $1.4 m $1.3 m $19.6m buildings and city infrastructure has 13000 11 · Efficient HVAC 70% 30 Year Model 12000 10 not yet been calculated, 11000 Efficient HVAC · Lay-In Ceilings 60% 9 Design 10000 8 Collect 50% of Rainwater · Fixed Windows 50% 9000 $45.3 m but the table at the left serves as an example. 8000 7 40% 7000 6 50% of Materials that are Removed Construction 60 Year Model 6000 5 from Site are Recycled or Salvaged o undation 30% 5000 4 TM d F 4000 Material Selection Based on LEED 20% 3 $218.4 m 3000 2 10% 2000 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 acka r 100 Year Model 1000 1 2002 2003 2004 2005 Note: this chart is included for 0% 0 0 Market CO2 SO2 NO2 PM10 Market cile P 100% 18000 u 15 illustrative purposes only. 40 Year Building 17000 · 2 Story Building 14 90% 16000 120' Wings 461 13 · Steel Frame 15000 80% 12 $10.0 m $1.3 m $1.3 m $22.7 m Big Box 14000 $3.2 m vid and L 13000 11 · Typical HVAC 70% 30 Year Model 12000 10 11000 · Lay-In Ceilings 60% 9 Design Typical Class "A" Office Building he D a 10000 Used with permission. T 8 · Fixed Windows 50% 9000 $62.9 m 8000 7 40% 7000 6 60 Year Model Construction 6000 5 30% Packard Sustainability Matrix and Report 5000 4 t © 2002 4000 20% 3 3000 2 10% 2000 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 $348.9 m © 2001 BMIM Architects 1000 1 2002 2003 2004 2005 0% 0 0 100 Year Model Copyrig h CO2 SO2 NO2 PM10 www.mbnim.com 17 An infrastructure investment that enables Footprint reduction

CTrain expansion

The CTrain was developed in 1981 with an initial 13 km line from downtown to Anderson Road. Since then, LRT expansion has had six phases of growth to a total of 42 km and 25 stations. Construction is currently underway for the seventh and eighth phases. The northeast line will extend 2.8 km to the McKnight/ Westwinds station. The northwest line will be expanded 3.8 km to the Crowfoot station.

In 2006, the average number of passengers per day was 248,200. Public transit supports Footprint reduction by removing vehicles from roads, conserving fuel, reducing both greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution. Public transit and its expansion offer a long-term solution to reducing the transportation portion of the energy Footprint. It’s estimated the Northeast expansion alone will reduce vehicle travel by over five million km annually, saving 1,400 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually.

18 Planning projects that enable footprint reductions

Garrison Woods The Bridges

The redevelopment of the former Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Located close to downtown, the Bridges development is Calgary is a project which reduced the land use and energy designed as an urban village. It’s a three-phase, multi-family components of the Footprint by creating a community with a development including affordable housing residential units and higher density (25 units per hectare) and more energy-efficient mixed use that is being developed over a nine-year period. homes, connected to the transit system. The first phase, which is already constructed, includes 425 residential units and street level retail. The second phase will Some duplex and single-family homes were actually refurbished include 707 residential units, commercial and institutional from the original military housing. The community incorporates development. customized road features, mixed uses (residential, commercial and institutional), a diversity of housing types and creative use This development addresses Footprint reduction by reducing of greenspace which creates a walkable, attractive development energy consumption, increasing population density, providing with a strong community feel. access to public transportation networks and by integrating such things as solar orientation, low- maintenance vegetation to conserve water and live-work opportunities. Some of the first multi-residential units to meet the LEED standard for new construction are included. It’s important to note, elements supporting Footprint reduction such as this can also meet our needs for affordable housing.

19 Ecological Footprint: frequently asked questions

How is the Ecological What is included in the How does the Ecological Footprint calculated? Ecological Footprint? What Footprint account for the

The Ecological Footprint measures the is excluded? use of fossil fuels? amount of biologically productive land To avoid exaggerating human demand Fossil fuels are extracted from the and water area required to produce the on nature, the Ecological Footprint Earth’s crust rather than produced by resources an individual, population or includes only those aspects of resource ecosystems. When burning this fuel, activity consumes and to absorb the waste consumption and waste production carbon dioxide is produced. The goal they generate, given prevailing technology for which the Earth has regenerative of the UN Framework Convention on and resource management. This area is capacity, and where data exist that allow Climate Change suggests two options expressed in global hectares, hectares with this demand to be expressed in terms of for avoiding this: a) human technological world-average biological productivity. productive area. For example, freshwater sequestration, such as deep well Footprint calculations use yield factors withdrawal is not explicitly included in injection, or b) natural sequestration. to take into account national differences national Footprint calculations, however, Natural sequestration corresponds in biological productivity (e.g. tonnes its effects on biocapacity and the energy to the biocapacity required to absorb of wheat per UK hectare versus per used to pump and treat it are included. In and store the CO2 not sequestered by Argentina hectare) and equivalence Calgary, water use is tracked using key humans, less the amount absorbed by factors to take into account differences local indicators. the oceans. This is the Footprint for in world average productivity among land fossil fuel. Currently, negligible amounts Ecological Footprint accounts provide types (e.g. world average forest versus of CO are sequestered through human snapshots of past resource demand 2 world average cropland). technological processes. and availability. They do not predict the Footprint and biocapacity results future. Thus, while the Footprint does not The sequestration rate used in Ecological for nations are calculated annually estimate future losses caused by present Footprint calculations is based on an by Global Footprint Network. The degradation of ecosystems, if persistent estimate of how much carbon the world’s continuing methodological development this degradation will likely be reflected in forests can remove from the atmosphere of these National Footprint Accounts is future accounts as a loss of biocapacity. and retain. One 2003 global hectare can overseen by a formal review committee Footprint accounts also do not indicate absorb the CO2 released by burning (footprintstandards.org/committees). the intensity with which a biologically approximately 1450 litres of gasoline A detailed methods paper and productive area is being used, nor per year. copies of sample calculation sheets do they pinpoint specific biodiversity The fossil fuel Footprint does not suggest can be obtained at no charge: see pressures. Finally, the Ecological that carbon sequestration is the key to footprintnetwork.org. Footprint is a biophysical measure; it resolving global warming. Rather the does not evaluate the essential social and opposite: it shows that the biosphere economic dimensions of sustainability. does not have sufficient capacity to cope

with current levels of CO2 emissions.

20 How does the Ecological Does the Ecological Calculating the Ecological Footprint account for Footprint take into account Footprint of a city or nuclear energy? other species? region?

The demand on biocapacity associated The Ecological Footprint describes While the calculations for global and with the use of nuclear power is difficult human demand on nature. Currently, national Ecological Footprints have been to quantify. Also, many of its impacts there are 1.8 global hectares of standardized within the National Footprint are not addressed by the research biocapacity available per person Accounts, there are a variety of ways question behind the Footprint. For lack of on planet Earth, less if some of this used to calculate the Footprint of a city conclusive data, the Footprint of nuclear biologically productive area is set aside or region. electricity is presently assumed to be the for use by wild species. The value society The family of “process-based” approaches same as the Footprint of the equivalent places on biodiversity will determine how use production recipes and supplementary amount of electricity from fossil fuels. much of a biodiversity buffer to set aside. statistics to allocate the national per capita Global Footprint Network and its partners Efforts to increase biocapacity, such Footprint to consumption categories are working to refine this assumption. The as mono-cropping and application of (e.g. food, shelter, mobility, goods and Footprint of nuclear electricity currently pesticides, may also increase pressure on services). Regional or municipal average represents approximately five per cent of biodiversity; this can increase the size of per capita Footprints are calculated by the total global Ecological Footprint. the biodiversity buffer required to achieve scaling these national results up or down the same conservation results. based on differences between national How is international trade and local consumption patterns. The taken into account? Does the Ecological family of input-output approaches use Footprint say what is a monetary, physical or hybrid input-output The National Ecological Footprint tables for allocating overall demand to accounts calculate each country’s net ‘fair’ or ‘equitable‘ use of consumption categories. consumption by adding its imports to its resources? There is growing recognition of the need production and subtracting its exports. to standardize sub-national Footprint This means that the resources used The Footprint documents what happened application methods in order to increase for producing a car manufactured in in the past. It can quantitatively describe their comparability across studies and Japan, but sold and used in India, will the ecological resources used by an over time. In response to this need, contribute to the Indian, not the Japanese individual or a population, but it does methods and approaches for calculating consumption Footprint. not prescribe what they should be using. the Footprint of cities and regions are Resource allocation is a policy issue, The resulting national consumption currently being aligned through the global based on societal beliefs about what is Footprints can be distorted, since the Ecological Footprint Standards initiative. or is not equitable. Thus, while Footprint resources used and waste generated in For more information on current Footprint accounting can determine the average making products for export is not fully standards and ongoing standardization biocapacity available per person, it documented. This affects the Footprints debates, see footprintstandards.org. cannot stipulate how that biocapacity of countries whose trade-flows are large should be allocated among individuals or relative to their overall economies. These nations. However, it provides a context misallocations, however, do not affect the for such discussions. total global Ecological Footprint.

The City of Calgary

Protecting Calgary’s environment is important to all Calgarians. The City of Calgary is committed to being a leader in responsible environmental stewardship and encourages all citizens, businesses and organizations to do their part. For information about The City of Calgary’s Footprint, please visit: calgary.ca/footprint. The production of this Global Footprint Network document was the result of a collaboration between Together with its partners, Global Footprint Network co-ordinates research, develops methodological standards and provides decision-makers with robust resource accounts The City of Calgary and to help the human economy operate with the Earth’s ecological limits. Global Footprint Network. For information about Global Footprint Network, please visit: footprintnetwork.org. 21 Calgary Ecological Footprint project launch

Can we apply what we’re learning from the Footprint to consider ecological limits, track progress and take collaborative action?

The City will officially launch the Ecological Footprint Project on Earth Day 2008. This call to action celebrates initiatives to reduce our Footprint and demonstrate how Calgarians are partnering and supporting each other in initiatives today to create great lives with a smaller Footprint as we move forward.

Partnering for a Sustainable Future

The following environmental information has Future-proofing Calgary been provided by Mohawk Paper. Savings derived from using post-consumer recycled fibre in lieu The assets we create today can be future-friendly or not. Future-friendly infrastructure — of virgin fibre (based on 1000 copies printed): cities and buildings designed to be resource efficient, zero-energy buildings and ...... 7.39 trees preserved for the future pedestrian or public transit oriented transportation systems — can enable great lives with small Footprints...... 157.4 kgs solid waste not generated Succeeding in future-proofing Calgary requires a commitment to securing Calgary’s ...... 310 kgs net greenhouse gases prevented economic competitiveness even in a time when resources become unavailable or too ...... 174.6 kgs air emissions not generated expensive. The longer infrastructure is designed to last, the more critical it is to ensure ...... 11,886 litres wastewater flow saved we’re not manoeuvring ourselves into resource-intensive legacies for decades to come. ...... 257.8 cubic metres of natural gas unused For references and additional information about Footprint methodology, data sources, ...... 24 equivalent trees planted assumptions and definitions, please visit: footprintnetwork.org/2006technotes.

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calgary.ca/footprint | call 3-1-1