For Immediate Release
October 4, 2010
New Mayor will have to Work with a Green Council
Toronto: Today, the Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) released results of a 20-question survey that asked candidates running for City Council about their support for 6 priority environmental actions. The results, available atwww.torontoenvironment.org/voteto, suggest the next City Council will be green.
“The vast majority of candidates (83%) who responded got an A or A+,” said Franz Hartmann, Executive Director of the Toronto Environmental Alliance. “Unless we get some very strange results on election night, Toronto’s new Mayor will be dealing with a very green Council committed to building on 10 years of environmental successes in Toronto.”
Highlights of the results include:
- 20 incumbents scored A or higher
- Top candidates in 4 open wards scored A or higher
- One incumbent scored a B
“These results reflect the fact that Torontonians want a green City Council,” said Hartmann. “Candidates know this and have responded with strong commitments to Toronto’s environmental future.”
In the remaining 19 wards, 13 incumbents failed to respond to the survey and received an F, while candidates in the other 6 wards had a diverse set of grades.
The survey asked ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions about public transit, waste diversion, green energy, toxic reduction, buying local green products, and building transportation infrastructure for everyone. To view the questions and candidates’ scores, go to www.torontoenvironment.org/voteto.
“There is a lot of uncertainty right now in the minds of the voters and candidates on a number of key election issues,” said Hartmann. “But there seems to be strong agreement that the next City Council must continue to make the environment a priority.”
The Toronto Environmental Alliance will be releasing a report card on top mayoral candidates in the near future.
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