Bruce Bellaire, founding member of Blue Dot Northumberland and past board member of Community Power Northumberland, offered the endorsement of both groups for the plan.

“It establishes a culture of hope and leadership for lower-tier municipalities to follow,” Bellaire stated.

He addressed the urgency of action, citing droughts that had a negative impact on food supply, 2017 high-water levels that eroded the Lake Ontario shoreline and damaged many homes, even the fallen trees from a 2022 windstorm that damaged his own home.

The county's work marks a contrast with the GTA, Bellaire added, where greenhouse gas emissions are actually on the rise.