CLIMATE ACTION

Goal: Toronto fully funds all actions in its TransformTO Net Zero Strategy, keeping on track to meet 2025, 2030, and 2040 climate targets, and accelerating investments in affordable housing, transit, and good green jobs.

2022-2026 Council Actions:

• Follow through on Toronto’s climate emergency declaration commitment to secure dedicated, sustained and equitable climate funding by implementing new revenue tools to fund climate action
• Scale up deep retrofit programs for all buildings including critical investments in projects that green buildings and increase the number of safe and deeply affordable housing units, including the City’s Multi-Unit Residential Acquisition (MURA) Program and High-Rise Retrofit Improvement Support (Hi-RIS) Program
• Build complete streets that protect pedestrians and cyclists sooner, especially in communities where walking and cycling infrastructure is the most lacking
• Accelerate the timeline for a zero-emission TTC and City fleets
• Improve public transit reliability by implementing all RapidTO bus and streetcar lanes in identified priority corridors
• Ensure the City’s arms-length entities like Toronto Hydro fully implement effective plans to enable Toronto’s climate commitments

CLIMATE RESILIENCE

Goal: Toronto implements an effective plan to achieve its climate resilience goals to support communities to prepare for and respond to the impacts of extreme weather, including flooding and heatwaves.

2022-2026 Council Actions

• Review and overhaul Toronto’s heating and cooling bylaws for landlords to protect tenants from heatwaves, including setting a maximum safe temperature for rental units
• Implement a fair stormwater charge that will make polluters pay for stormwater reduction and flood proofing projects (such as green infrastructure and Ravine Strategy support)
• Develop local emergency preparedness initiatives to reach residents made vulnerable in extreme weather events, working with residents, community groups and service providers
• Expand access to critical amenities in public parks as places of respite, such as washrooms and water fountains, across the city and throughout the year
• Work with local communities to expand access to parks, ravines, green spaces, and shade, prioritizing investments in equity-deserving communities where access to public and/or private greenspace is limited

WASTE AND A CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Goal: Toronto takes ambitious action to reduce disposables that pollute our environment and shift our city towards reusable alternatives that build a zero waste city with a strong local, circular economy. 

2022-2026 Council Actions

• Pass regulations to eliminate unnecessary single-use items and require a shift to reusable foodware in businesses and City facilities as part of the Single-Use Reduction Strategy
• Maintain and expand public control and delivery of waste services (such as Blue Box collection and waste service for parks, small businesses and charities) to ensure public oversight, accountability and access to effective waste diversion programs
• Maintain Toronto's commitment to focus on waste diversion and do not send Toronto's garbage for incineration, which passes the burden of toxic pollution onto local communities
• Create a plan to ensure all Toronto residents, no matter what building they live in, have access to waste diversion tools including recycling and organics collection

READ MORE ABOUT THE PLATFORM AND THE ISSUES