Toronto, the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, and the traditional territory of the Chippewa, Huron-Wendat, and Haudenosaunee peoples (November 28) — Today, the City of Toronto released the draft of their 5-Year climate action plan. [1] The new plan does not include building performance standards, the most significant policy tool within the City’s powers to cut emissions, leaving no pathway to meet the City’s climate targets.

While the plan suggests positive steps to decarbonize the City’s own buildings and vehicles, it ramps down key actions that are critical for Toronto as a whole to make the same shift. The report from city staff paints a dire picture of Toronto’s climate progress, hammered by provincial interference and lack of funding from all levels of government. 

“Let’s face the truth — the Ford government is a major obstacle to climate action,” says How-Sen Chong, Climate Campaigner at Toronto Environmental Alliance. “But City Council has a choice to make. They can respond to provincial interference by walking away, or they can step up and recommit to using the tools they have to protect Torontonians from climate change.”

Recent polling revealed that 84% of Torontonians from across the City support green building standards as a climate action tool. [2] In addition, TEA and Stand.earth mobilized thousands of residents to speak up to Mayor Chow and local Councillors in support of building performance standards. This key policy has been in development at the City for over 2 years. 

TEA is calling for the following actions at the upcoming Infrastructure and Environment Committee meeting on December 4th:

• City Council must recommit to a clear and updated timeline and next steps for Building Emissions Performance Standards (BEPS) in the City of Toronto.
• City Council must amend the short-term climate implementation plan to include BEPS as a key driver of climate progress in the next 5 years.

“Almost 60% of the climate pollution emitted in the City of Toronto comes from buildings,” said Chong. “Building performance standards are the only impactful tool under development to cut this pollution. Without strong policies that cut pollution from existing buildings, Toronto’s climate targets are just a destination on a map but without a path to get there.”

Cities like New York, Boston, Seattle, and Vancouver have already passed performance standards that cut building emissions by gradually requiring the leakiest, most polluting existing buildings to meet basic standards for energy efficiency. 

In 2023, Toronto City Council requested that staff bring forward a by-law by the end of 2024 that would set greenhouse gas targets on existing buildings across the City. [3] However, this bylaw or any plans to advance it are absent from the City’s proposed 5-year plan.

“Council needs to move ahead with key tools that are within City powers, including fixing up leaky and polluting buildings with performance standards,” said Chong. “Green building standards will add thousands of good jobs, while also making buildings and homes more efficient and safer from extreme weather events like heat waves.”

Background:

According to The Atmospheric Fund’s most recent greenhouse gas inventory, nearly 60% of carbon pollution emitted in the City of Toronto comes from buildings. [4] This report also documented that greenhouse gases emitted in Toronto have risen 1.2% to 15.3 megatonnes in 2024, the highest since 2016.

A poll fielded by Abacus Data and released by the Toronto Environmental Alliance in October 2025 showed that green building requirements that cut building emissions are very popular, with 84% of Torontonians from across the City in support. [5]

You can find more information about Building Emissions Performance Standards by clicking the link here.

Contact:

Jessica Gordon, Communications Manager

Email: [email protected]

Sources:

[1] The full 5-year climate plan can be found here.

[2] In October 2025, the Toronto Environmental Alliance publicly released an Abacus Data poll that showed that 84% of Torontonians from across the city support green building standards that cut building emissions. The same poll showed 92% support for green building standards that protect from extreme weather.

[3] Source: https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.EX7.1

[4] Source: https://carbon.taf.ca/2024/regions/toronto

[5] See source [1]

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