Calgary city council to debate rescinding climate emergency declaration

Calgary councillors will debate whether or not to end the formal declaration of a climate emergency on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025.

Nearly four years after the vast majority of a brand-new council voted in favour of declaring a climate emergency, Calgary councillors will debate whether or not to end the formal declaration next week.

A motion from Couns. Sonya Sharp, Andre Chabot, Dan McLean and Terry Wong asks city administration to rescind the declaration and order an audit of climate-related spending.

All four are also part of the Communities First municipal party in the upcoming election.

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“I am bringing this forward because there’s a lot of changes since 2021,” said Sharp, who voted in favour of the declaration four years ago.

“I’ve mentioned, I shouldn’t have voted for it, and I think it’s okay to admit the missteps you might have taken in the last four years.”

Sharp, in 2021, did challenge the use of the word ‘emergency’ in the declaration, arguing at the time the strategy would have been better labelled a ‘call to action’ to accelerate climate action work.

Mayor Jyoti Gondek, who campaigned on declaring a climate emergency in the lead up to the 2021 election, says the move was the right one to show Calgary is taking the issue of climate change seriously.

“Listening to the climate science is actually a very good thing, and trying to put in some precautions is a good thing as well,” Gondek said Monday.

“I can also tell you from an economic development perspective, the number of companies that have chosen to locate in our city and help drive our economy, most of their leadership asks us a very specific question about our stance on sustainability.”

According to the city, the climate emergency declaration means administration and business units have accelerated timelines to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and developed plans to identify and invest in projects that reduce the city’s climate risk.

The notice of motion to rescind the declaration wouldn’t stop that work, some councillors say, as much of those priorities were already happening prior to 2021.

According to the notice of motion, the city’s Climate and Environment department has a $26 million operating budget and a $22 million capital budget for this year.

“What did this declaration actually mean? And did we need it? And so now I’m calling it out,” said Sharp, who is running for mayor in October.

The mayor called the notice of motion “politicking” with just weeks to go before a municipal election.

“I think people are waffling and flip-flopping because we are getting into an election season. So, whatever is populist and can stir the pot and get you some news headlines is the way some people choose to go,” Gondek said.

“I can’t tell you if that’s actually their intent, but it sure feels like it.”

Council is set to meet next Tuesday.