Hamilton city councillors have officially declared a climate change emergency.

But it took a few drafts of Mayor Fred Eisenberger's original motion to strike a Corporate Climate Change Task Force before councillors agreed to make the declaration during Monday's board of health meeting.

Coun. Lloyd Ferguson argued the declaration was premature without a cost-benefit analysis from staff.

"I want to hold off on declaring a climate emergency," the Ancaster councillor said. "What's it mean? What's its cost?"

Ferguson eventually stood up and told councillors he had to leave to make a meeting a 4 p.m.

A member of the public gallery shouted, "Shame on you, Lloyd," to which he responded, "Can we get the crowd out of here?"

Hamilton's declaration follows others made in Vancouver, Halifax and Kingston that emphasize humanity has 11 years left to avoid global catastrophe due to climate change.

Coun. Jason Farr said he had no problem making the emergency declaration but noted a staff report detailing the action the city has taken on the file and historical costs of wild weather is expected in June.

At that point, armed with all the information including what is being done on "hyperlocal level," it would be best to declare the emergency, Farr said.

Coun. Nrinder Nann, however, urged her colleagues to cut to the chase and make the declaration.

"Let's just take the political will and courage right now and declare the emergency," Nann said.

Eisenberger supported her suggestion to add the wording into his motion.

The mayor said his call for a multi-departmental Corporate Climate Change Task Force is to consolidate work various departments are doing on the file.

"And we've been making progress, but we're not getting ahead of the curve," Eisenberger said.

His motion references the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's report that warns a reduction of carbon emissions of 45 per cent from 2010 levels to reach net zero emissions by 2050 is necessary to keep the Earth "compatible with human civilization."

That means making sure global warming is kept to an increase of 1.5 C.

Eisenberger's motion also calls for the task force to incorporate establish a centralized climate change reporting structure and identify strategies to bridge "gaps" in existing programs.

In response to arguments to delay the associated declaration, Coun. Maureen Wilson there's no doubt "the emergency is here."

She added: "I would argue the cost of inaction will cripple us. We are experiencing it now."

Councillors made the declaration at the urging of Environment Hamilton, whose members addressed the board of health.

"This is not something that can be left as another side project. This is not something that can be left as another file," Ian Borsuk told councillors.

Lynda Lukasik, executive director, said the Intergovernmental Panel's October 2018 report "sounded the climate alarm," calling for a 1.5 C limit rather than 2 C cap set previously by the Paris Accord.

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