For Immediate Release
June 26, 2014

Toronto: On the same day students receive their end-of-term report card, the Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) issued the City Council Enviro Report Card that grades City Councillors and the Mayor on their environmental performance over the past 4 years.

“If this was school, half of Council would graduate with high honours and the other half would be held back,” said Dr. Franz Hartmann, the Executive Director of TEA. “Mayor Ford failed miserably with the lowest grade in the class. 17 Councillors also failed. Meanwhile, 17 Councillors got an A+ and 9 Councillors ranged between A and D.”

The report card gives a grade for every sitting Council member and is based on how each member voted on 31 key environmental issues considered by City Council between 2010 and 2014. 

“The Council ‘Class of 2014’ can best be described as a battle between those who wanted to preserve existing green programs and services, and those who wanted to dismantle them,” said Hartmann. “Thankfully, the slackers who were intent on harming Toronto’s environment lost. Which means we are no worse off today than we were leading up to the 2010 election.”

“While it’s important to acknowledge those who got good grades, Torontonians deserve better than what we got,” said Hartmann. “Council should have been focusing on increasing our environmental programs and services, not just saving them from the chopping block.” 

Today, TEA also released its Green Action Agenda which is the next Council’s environmental ‘to do’ list. “The Council ‘Class of 2014’ lost precious time in the last 4 years,” said Hartmann. “Now, we need a new Council committed to actions that will actually improve the environment.” 

Copies of the Enviro Report Card and Green Action Agenda are available at www.torontoenvironment.org/vote2014.

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For more information, contact, Franz Hartmann: 416-606-8881.