Summary#

On May 5, 2026, Calgary’s Executive Committee voted 12–0 to send Councillor Chabot’s notice of motion to Council’s May 26 meeting for consideration. The committee did not decide to rescind the climate emergency declaration or order an audit. The notice asks Council to rescind the declaration, direct City staff to audit climate-related spending, and publish findings before the 2027–2031 budget adjustments.

• If Council approves the notice, Council would rescind its November 2021 climate emergency declaration.
• City staff would be directed to audit climate-related operating and capital spending across all City business units and departments, including spending since November 2021.
• The proposed audit would assess whether spending matches Council’s jurisdiction and priorities, identify possible savings or duplication, and recommend how spending could align with core municipal responsibilities and financial sustainability.
• City staff would be directed to report publicly through the 2026 November Adjustments to the 2027–2031 Service Plans and Budgets. The notice does not set an audit method or define “climate-related” spending.

What it means for you#

• Calgarians and taxpayers: There is no immediate change to the declaration, City spending, or services from the committee’s decision. Council must still consider the notice.
• City staff: The notice would require staff to carry out the audit and report if Council approves it. The committee has not yet ordered this work.
• Council: The requested decision is scheduled for consideration at the May 26, 2026, meeting.

Money#

The notice lists climate-related budget figures, but the available material does not provide an estimate for the proposed audit.

• The notice states that the Climate & Environment business unit had a $26 million base operating budget, $22 million in one-time operating programs, and $22.7 million in capital spending in 2025.
• It also states that $214.6 million in climate-related capital spending across departments was planned for 2026. These figures are claims in the notice; the material does not independently verify them.
• No cost estimate is given for the audit or public report.

What is unclear#

• How City staff would define and identify “climate-related” spending across departments.
• What audit standards, measures of value, or evidence of “measurable benefits” the audit would use.
• Whether the audit could be completed in time for the 2026 November budget adjustments, and what staff or other resources it would require.
• Whether rescinding the declaration would change any existing City programs or spending. The notice does not specify which ones would change.

Case for#

• Chabot’s notice argues that climate-related spending is spread across departments, making its full cost hard for Council and taxpayers to assess.
• A full accounting and review could help Council identify duplication, possible savings, and spending that does not show measurable benefits.
• The proposed public report would give Council and Calgarians information to consider during the 2027–2031 budget process.

Case against#

• The notice does not define which spending counts as climate-related or explain how the audit would judge value. Different choices could lead to different findings.
• The material gives no audit cost, staffing estimate, or delivery plan for the proposed November 2026 reporting date.
• The notice says that Bill 18 removed one rationale for the declaration by restricting direct federal funding. The supplied material does not establish how that claim relates to the declaration itself or to all existing climate spending.