Strengthening our Climate Action Strategy: An Update on TransformTO

Climate change continues to be one of the most important and urgent issues of our time, with impacts ranging from global to local. Recognizing the imminent risks, City Council unanimously approved TransformTO in 2017 – a comprehensive plan to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions and build a greener, healthier city.

The original plan recommended a target carbon emissions reduction of 80% by 2050, but over the last 4 years, the City has taken many steps to strengthen and accelerate the plan. Just two years after TransformTO was adopted, City Council declared a climate emergency and established a stronger target of net-zero by 2050.

This week, City Council is set to consider another ambitious update to our TransformTO targets. If approved, Toronto's new goal will be to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040 – 10 years ahead of our current target. The new TransformTO Net Zero Strategy charts a course for us to meet this goal through measures including:

  • Mandating that all new buildings achieve near-zero emissions by 2030 (in addition to a 50% decrease in emissions below 2008 levels for existing buildings);

  • Encouraging the use of electric vehicles with a target of electrifying 30% of all registered vehicles in Toronto by 2030;

  • Achieving 70% residential waste diversion from landfills;

  • Enhancing transit and pedestrian infrastructure to encourage sustainable transportation alternatives; and

  • Building on Toronto's world class greenspaces and tree canopy.

I have been a proponent of the TransformTO strategy since its inception and look forward to supporting stronger climate action at City Council later this week.

Jaye Robinson