“Free” Isn’t Free: Dissecting Waterloo’s Staff Response to PCP Questions

Why Council Isn’t Getting Straight Answers on the PCP Program

Gather 2030

Jun 19, 2025

Exposing the Smokescreen: Why Council Isn’t Getting Straight Answers on the PCP Program

When Region of Waterloo resident Peter McFadden followed up on a public delegation about the costs of the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program, the Region’s response followed a now-familiar script. Council had requested a cost report. Instead, staff offered generalized claims, vague reassurances, and a few key phrases that deserve closer examination.

Let’s break it down.

🧾 Staff Claim:

“Although the Region is a member of the PCP program, we do not contribute any regional funds.”

Reality:
This is technically true—but highly misleading. The PCP program is delivered through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), which does receive public funds through municipal membership dues and federal transfers. In short: taxpayer dollars still fund this program, whether through local or federal channels. And local staff time—funded by the Region—is used to implement it.

Moreover, "no regional funds" ignores the capital costs involved in achieving PCP milestones. This includes vehicle electrification, building retrofits, methane capture systems, and staff resources dedicated to reporting and compliance.

💵 Staff Claim:

“The program is a free, voluntary capacity-building initiative.”

Reality:
There is nothing “free” about net-zero implementation. Lethbridge recently revealed it would cost $63 million in carbon credits to meet their former 40% target. They prudently scaled back to 20% to protect taxpayers. The Region of Waterloo has committed to an even more ambitious 50% GHG reduction by 2030, and this commitment is tied directly to PCP participation.

The term “voluntary” is also deceptive. Once municipalities opt in, there is political and bureaucratic pressure to meet international targets regardless of cost, feasibility, or local public support. That’s not local democracy—it’s policy laundering through global partnerships.

📊 Staff Claim:

“We do follow the guidelines for GHG emissions reporting offered by this program. This is accepted as the industry standard…”

Reality:
These are not national standards ratified by Parliament or developed through broad municipal consensus. They are crafted by ICLEI Canada and their international affiliates, who are not accountable to Canadian voters. Referring to these tools as “industry standard” obscures the fact that they embed global policy assumptions—such as the Paris Agreement or UN Sustainable Development Goals—into local decision-making.

This is why some municipalities, especially in rural and resource-based areas, are rejecting the framework entirely. It's not about denying climate change—it's about protecting local autonomy and fiscal responsibility.

🤔 What’s Missing Entirely? Accountability and Cost Transparency

Perhaps the most glaring omission in the Region's response is that staff never answered the actual question:

“What is the status of the PCP cost report Council agreed to produce after the February 26 delegation?”

This was not a rhetorical query. Council explicitly acknowledged the need for a cost review of PCP participation and requested a report to detail:

Staff time and salaries dedicated to climate compliance
Capital expenditures tied to meeting PCP milestones
Consulting contracts or planning services linked to GHG reporting
Infrastructure changes and procurement decisions influenced by net-zero goals

Instead of a report, residents got a PR response. Why?

Because revealing the true financial cost of PCP compliance would expose just how deeply this program is steering municipal operations—without public consent, and without council voting line-by-line on where the money is going.

Municipalities across Canada are now asking the same questions:

How much are we spending to comply with an international framework?
Who benefits from these targets—local residents, or external companies and consultants?

The Region of Waterloo is not unique in dodging these questions. Across the country, climate program costs are being bundled into general budgets, hidden within departmental mandates, or attributed to “capacity-building.” This makes them impossible for residents—and sometimes even councillors—to track.

This is not just an oversight. It’s a systemic lack of transparency that insulates climate compliance spending from scrutiny and debate.

Until a full cost report is tabled, every council that participates in the PCP program is operating without a clear understanding of the financial impact. That’s a serious governance concern.

✅ A Constructive Alternative

We recommend that Waterloo Council follow the example of Lethbridge, which launched a transparent reassessment of its PCP commitments after reviewing the true costs. We’ve published the full story—including a sample resolution council can use—here:
📎 Exposing the Costs: How Lethbridge Challenged the PCP’s 40% Target and Put Local Priorities First

📢 Final Thought

Residents aren’t buying vague reassurances anymore. We need real numbers, real debate, and real respect for local taxpayers. Waterloo’s 50% GHG reduction target by 2030 is ambitious—and potentially unaffordable. Saying it’s “free” only hides the true cost.

We encourage every municipality in Canada to review their climate commitments openly, honestly, and democratically—without being misled by scripted answers.