Councillor Patrick Wilson is calling on town council to withdraw from an international climate initiative and limit involvement in similar programs unless explicitly approved by council.
A notice of motion presented on June 23 calls for the town to cease participation in the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program.
Wilson says his motion was prompted by a Feb. 18 presentation from the citizen group Dog with a Bone Society, which argued that involvement in such initiatives risks compromising local autonomy.
The motion also calls for the development of clear administrative guidelines to ensure transparency in all external collaborations, particularly those tied to grant funding.
Wilson says the town should prioritize locally driven decisions over international mandates and ensure that public funds are directed to initiatives that directly benefit Cochrane residents.
In his presentation, Wilson referenced two emails. One warned that efforts to lobby municipalities to abandon net-zero commitments stem from carefully crafted conspiracy theories—a view Wilson made clear was not at the root of his motion.
Another email countered that “it’s not a conspiracy; it’s a government issue.”
“The PCP program often enters municipalities with little debate, oversight or long-term review,” Wilson read from the email. “Its structure mimics a corporate marketing funnel (freemiums): free entry, escalating commitments and no real accountability from its sponsors. While environmental stewardship is essential, it must always reflect the democratic will and priorities of local residents, not international mandates.”
Wilson said PCP uses a freemium model—appearing cost-free at a glance, but quickly becoming expensive. The second step of the program requires municipalities to collect emissions data and absorb the cost of ongoing monitoring systems. PCP provides a list of recommended solutions that can lead to costly infrastructure projects, such as electric vehicle fleets, green building retrofits and urban densification policies.
He said once politically and financially invested in the program, it becomes difficult for municipalities to withdraw.
“The takeaway is it’s never truly free,” said Wilson. “Even after reaching net-zero, municipalities are expected to continue spending on carbon credits, carbon capture technology, monitoring systems, compliance measures and other climate-related expenditures, creating a cycle of perpetual dependency.”
As part of a report being prepared by town administration for review in the fall, Mayor Jeff Genung wants to know whether the motion could impact any government grants the town may be pursuing.
Input is also being sought from the town’s recently created Natural Environmental Protection Task Force. Wilson said he is willing to present his concerns to the task force.
Although questioning whether it falls within the role of the task force, town representative Councillor Alex Reed said they will take a look.