What You Can Do To Help

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Edmontonians are some of the most environmentally conscious citizens in the world, exemplified by the high participation rate in the recycling program.

Want to know where you rate on your carbon footprint? Check out the Global Footprint Network.

Get tips on how to become more eco friendly!

Air

Traffic can be a big headache. Lessen the traffic by using alternative modes of transportation.
Be Idle Free. Idling your vehicle not only wastes gasoline (and therefore, money), it causes needless pollution and can be damaging to your vehicle. Protect your wallet and your health - be aware of idling habits.
Trees help to clean our air. So plant a tree and register it with Root for Trees.
Learn how you can contribute to improving indoor and outdoor air quality at home, school and work.
Learn more about air quality by viewing resources and videos produced by the Alberta Capital Airshed
Participate in Clean Air Day, celebrated annually on Wednesday during Environment Week.
Track the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) and adjust your outdoor activities accordingly.
Visually track Edmonton’s AQHI by installing a wi-fi enabled bulb and downloading the AQHI Light Bulb: Setup Guide .
Sign out an airbeam kit to learn more about local air quality.

Climate Change Adaptation

Landscaping your yard? Consider low impact development (LID). It mimics the natural movement of water, bringing water back to the land rather than into the storm drains. Rain gardens, for example, collect, absorb and filter stormwater runoff and allow it to soak into the ground.
Make sure your home is safe from floods - get a flood prevention home check-up (EPCOR).
Lighten your lifestyle with tips from our Change Habits For Climate Guide.

Community

Help your community league become more energy efficient through the Green Leagues workshops.
Have a plan to make your community greener and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions? Apply for the Climate Innovation grant program.
Start or get involved in a community garden. By growing your own produce, you reduce the distance the food must travel to get to your home.
Organize a swap party with friends and neighbours. Others may have what you need and you may have what others need. By reusing items, we reduce the amount of materials that need to be recycled or put in the landfill. Alternatively, donate your items to a charity. (Check to see what items they accept first!)
Start a tool lending library (like the Edmonton Tool Library) for items that can be pricey to buy and seldom used but handy to have. Or start a library for other items that your neighbours might need.

Energy Efficiency And Conservation In Large Buildings

Get a commercial energy audit for your building to better understand your building’s energy performance. Start by reviewing the companies listed on Alberta Energy Efficiency Alliance.
Participate in BOMA BEST, a green building certification program for sustainable operations and maintenance of existing buildings.
Sign up for NRCan's Monthly Newsletter, Heads Up: Building Energy Efficiency.

Energy Efficiency And Conservation In Your Home

Get a variety of lifestyle tips on how to green your everyday life with our Change Habits For Climate Guide
Check out our Home Energy Toolkit from the Edmonton Public Library and use it to gain a better understanding of energy use in your home
If you're buying, selling or renovating a home, read our Change Homes For Climate Guide for tips on what to look for an energy-savings
Find out how energy efficient your home is and what areas you can upgrade by getting an EnerGuide for Homes energy assessment

Food

If you have a yard or a balcony, you can grow your own produce. Don't have the space? Look into joining a community garden.
Become a beekeeper or raise some hens.
Shop local and buy your groceries at farmers markets. It supports the local farmers and helps ensure we have an adequate, stable food supply if there's a disruption in the global food supply.
Healthy soil grows healthy food. Learn how to feed the soil at Compost School.

Land

Take Action

Create a Natural Yard

Reducing conventional lawn space to incorporate native and other Edmonton-hardy plants has many benefits:
- Natural yards slow the runoff of rainfall and snowmelt, absorbing it into the ground rather than overwhelming our stormwater system.
- Selecting plants adapted to the conditions your yard provides will reduce additional watering needs.
- Using native plants, appropriately, removes the need for fertilizer and pesticide use, as they are adapted to local environmental conditions and are more resistant to pests than many other garden plants.
- Natural yards also provide food and shelter for wildlife, including birds, bees and butterflies!
Learn more about how to create a beautiful, well-landscaped natural yard using the Natural Private Property Guidelines.

Eco-landscaping

Eco-landscaping reduces lawn-clipping waste, reduces fertilizer and chemical needs, conserves water and saves money through reduced energy and yard maintenance costs. It also reduces greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change.
If you're about to re-landscape, consider eco-landscaping.

Use Pesticides Responsibly

Use pesticides responsibly, or eliminate their use entirely.
Herbicides, insecticides and fungicides may help in the short term, but using alternative methods is a better choice for a long term, healthy environment.
The City of Edmonton follows an Integrated Pest Management Policy which considers alternatives to pesticides.

Greening Our City’s Public Spaces

Learn about the many programs you can participate in which allow citizens to plant vegetables, flowers, trees and shrubs on public property.
Edmontonians take pride in their city. Why not help make it an even more beautiful place to live? Join Partners in Parks and participate in gardening a part of our city's public spaces.
Learn more about Edmonton’s approach to naturalization, that provides environmental, ecological, economic and social benefits to the city and citizens.

Plant a Tree

You can help Edmonton reach its annual target for the Root for Trees initiative—to plant an additional 45,000 trees.
Edmonton is changing to combat global climate change. Volunteer to plant trees for the next generation.

Renewable Energy

Get solar panels installed on your building. Edmonton is one of the sunniest cities in the world, making solar power the smart choice!
Learn about other renewable energy.
Check out green energy technology, such as cogeneration and district energy.

Transportation

Traffic can be a big headache. Lessen the traffic by using alternative modes of transportation. Walk, bike or try taking Edmonton Transit instead of driving. Edmonton Transit is committed to offering environmentally-friendly transportation. Just one bus can replace about 50 private cars on the road! Edmonton Transit recently added electric buses to its fleet, making its impact even bigger.
Why not share a ride? It's a great way to get to know co-workers, save money and help the environment.
Be Idle Free. Idling your vehicle not only wastes gasoline (and therefore, money), it also causes needless pollution and can be damaging to your vehicle. Protect your wallet and your health - be aware of your idling habits.

Waste

The 3Rs should be done in a particular order: Reduce waste, Reuse items and Recycle.
Turn food scraps and yard waste into a valuable soil enhancement through composting.
When mowing your lawn, go bagless and grasscycle instead.

Water

Reduce your water consumption by using efficient appliances and fixtures, such as 6L toilets, low-flow showerheads and front-loading washing machines. On January 1, 2008, the City implemented a water efficient fixtures bylaw (Bylaw 14571).
It requires water-efficient fixtures (toilets, showerheads, faucets) to be installed in all new residential and commercial construction, as well as in renovations where plumbing permits are required.
For further information, check out our brochure and visit EPCOR.
Use a rain barrel so you can use rain water on your lawn and garden rather than tap water.
Protect our river. Be aware of what goes down your drain.
If you're landscaping, consider low impact development (LID). It mimics the natural movement of water, filtering it and bringing it back to the watershed. An example of LID is a rain garden.
In addition to LID, consider eco-landscaping, which requires little watering or maintenance.

Connect With Us!

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Environment and Climate Resilience

If you are calling from outside of Edmonton: 780-442-5311

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What You Can Do To Help

Take Action

Create a Natural Yard

Eco-landscaping

Use Pesticides Responsibly

Greening Our City’s Public Spaces

Plant a Tree

Change For Climate

Stay Informed

Social Accounts

Change For Climate

Rebates

Related Documents

Green Resource Guide

Related Links

Earth Hour

EnergyStar in Canada

Recycle Enterprises

For More Information

Environment and Climate Resilience