Rising to the Challenge
Ontario’s climate is changing. What does this mean for the aggregate industry?
Climate change has been front news since 1992, when Canada joined over 150 countries in signing the Framework Convention on Climate Change at the UN Conference on Environment and Development. But in the early ‘90s (and perhaps until not too recently), the impacts of climate change just didn’t feel like an immediate concern for many people.
The effects of climate change were something our children would have to worry about. I, for one, never imagined that within my lifetime we would be seeing the types of flooding, fires, landslides and even increased tornado activity that Ontario experiences every year.
Climate change is here. What were once infrequent events like flooding, drought and heat waves are happening every year. Average annual temperatures in Ontario have increased and are expected to continue increasing by 2.5 to 3.7°C by 2050. This is expected to have significant environmental, economic and health implications, and the aggregate industry is not immune to these impacts.
In 2020, the province introduced its first-ever climate change impact assessment. The assessment, which OSSGA participated in, looked at impacts of climate change on key sectors, including the aggregate industry. To better assess impacts, OSSGA conducted a survey of two OSSGA committees to take the pulse of its members’ views on climate change and the impact on present and future operations.
The survey showed that 64 per cent of respondents considered climate change either a moderate or high priority and 90 per cent responded that climate change is either currently having a negative impact on operations or they predict it will have a negative impact in the future
Although the survey provided a small snapshot of what members are experiencing with respect to climate change, we believe it provides insight into what we expect to be a bigger conversation around what it means for pit and quarry producers to operate in a changing climate.
The survey showed that 64 per cent of respondents considered climate change either a moderate or high priority and 90 per cent responded that climate change is either currently having a negative impact on operations or they predict it will have a negative impact in the future. We also learned that 80 per cent of respondents have implemented or are planning to implement an initiative to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
In an effort to reduce emissions, in 2019 the federal government introduced a carbon tax which includes a fuel charge component. With increased fuel and energy costs, it’s no surprise that higher transportation costs were among the top industry concerns, particularly for pits and quarries located further from market.
To address this, we learned that members are purchasing or increasing the number of hybrid or electric vehicles in their fleet to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Fuel costs will also drive changes like using land conveyors instead of haul trucks and connecting to the grid instead of using on-site generators.
In 2016, Dufferin Aggregates installed three electric vehicle charging stations at their Milton Quarry. Brent Quarries in Muskoka are also planning to convert their fleet of mobile equipment and their screening and washing equipment from diesel to electric in the coming years. As 90 per cent of their deliveries are within 10 kilometres of their facilities, the company intends to embrace electric dump truck technology once available. In a move towards carbon neutral operations, the company has three sites with 500 kW solar panels each and they heat their buildings with pellet boilers. They also utilize heated storage buildings to keep machinery warm in the winter months, which use less energy than traditional electric block heaters.
ADDRESSING CONCERNS
We also heard our members’ concerns around vector-borne diseases and heat-related impacts for workers. Lyme disease is carried by black-legged ticks and is spreading to more parts of Ontario due to climate change. James Dick Construction Limited has recognized that with warmer temperatures, working outside can bring an increased risk of exposure to the health threat posed by vector-borne diseases such as Lyme disease and West Nile Virus and they have modified their Infectious and Zoonotic Disease program to reflect this. The company also regularly communicates about the risk and prevention of heat stress and heat-related illness, which are becoming more common as temperatures rise and heat waves become commonplace and prolonged.
For some vertically integrated members, climate change mitigation is being addressed through innovation in cement and concrete. Lafarge’s Canada 2030 Plan has an overarching aim that, by 2030, one third of turnover will come from products, services and solutions with an enhanced sustainability performance. To achieve this, the company will reduce net specific CO2 emissions by 40 per cent per tonne of cement and help their customers avoid 10 million tonnes of CO2 being released from buildings each year through innovative solutions. They also have committed to reducing freshwater withdrawal in cement operations by 30 per cent, which will make a positive impact in water-scarce areas.
Survey respondents also recognized that rehabilitation efforts will be impacted by extreme weather events and there will be greater emphasis on rehabilitation to offset the impacts of climate change. The Ontario Biodiversity Strategy recognizes that by enhancing the resiliency of our ecosystems, they will be better able to withstand and recover from stresses such as climate change. At Miller Paving Ltd.’s Braeside Quarry, the company has preserved more than 26 hectares of rare forest (home to the world’s largest population of Ram’s Head Lady’s Slipper) near their active quarry. Annual monitoring is ongoing to ensure the protection and enhancement of species diversity necessary to combat climate change.
As droughts become more common, quarries may play an important role in supporting the surrounding landscape and their communities. For example, in 2016, during a period of drought, Dufferin Aggregate’s Milton Quarry supplied water for watering trees in the Region of Halton’s regional forest track. The quarry also has the ability to supply water to the nearby Conservation Halton system of reservoirs if needed.
Climate change also means that infrastructure will be at risk from more severe and frequent storms and flooding. Essential infrastructure such as roads, water, bridges and subways could be compromised. The aggregate industry will need to be adaptive and innovative to operate in a changing climate and support the essential infrastructure that we all rely on.
Climate change will require everyone to be mindful, innovative and resilient. The aggregate industry has an important role to play in this new world – and as always, the industry is stepping up to the challenge.