Ottawa's environment committee in for name change

The City of Ottawa's environment committee could soonbe renamed to better reflect its expanding role.

On Tuesday the city's finance and economic development committee, which handles such governance issues as committee names,approved a motion to rename the environment committee the "environment and climate protection committee."

• Councillor wants committee renamed to reflect climate protection mandate

"This is the work that increasingly the city is doing and will have to do," said environment committee chairCoun. DavidChernushenko.

He said cities now play an active role in reducing greenhousegas emissions by adopting greener transit fleets and building bike lanes. They must also deal with the fallout of climate change by updating storm water systems to deal with increasing rainfall,Chernushenkosaid.

"The grand pronouncements, the international treaties, even the signing ofchequesare being done at the higher levels ofgovernment,but ultimately every point of action is coming back to the city."

The renaming would follow in the footsteps of provincial and federal departments that have already included the notion of climate change in theirtitles.

Not all councillors warm to change

But not all councillors like the idea.

Rideau-Goulbourn Coun.Scott Moffatt said climate protection does not make upthe bulk of the work the environment committee does, such as drinking water and waste removal.

Moffatt had earlier suggested merging the environment committee withthe transportation committee to form a public works and utilities committee.

Barrhaven councillor Jan Harderagreed with the name change.

"I think it recognizes the work this city is already doing. And the word 'protection' is very different from the word 'change,'" said Harder, who said she would have voted against the motion if it had included that word.

The name change still needs the approval of full city council.