In 2021, Toronto passed a bold new climate plan - but how do we fund the transformation to a net zero city? To kick off our series on the environmental issues at stake in Toronto’s municipal election, we dive into how Toronto’s next City Council can use new climate funding tools to transform Toronto into the sustainable, healthy and equitable city we deserve.

Next month, we’ll head to the polls for the municipal election. This election is important: who we elect to City Council will hold power at City Hall during a critical window to act on the climate crisis, make Toronto more resilient to climate impacts like extreme heat and flooding, and create a local circular economy.

TEA's 2021 Annual Report is here! Read the report, which includes wins and highlights from our campaigns, advocacy and community projects over the past year. 

On June 2nd, Ontarians go to the polls for the Provincial election. Who we elect will have a big impact on Toronto and our city’s progress on key environmental issues - everything from what we put in our recycling bins to how quickly we get dirty fossil fuels out of our electricity grid. 

Ahead of the election, get a rundown of some of the major issues that we are working on that are impacted by the Provincial government - and how these issues and priorities have fared under the Ford government.

In 2021, TEA partnered up with the U of T Trash Team on a new pollution prevention project. We wanted to know: “What are the challenges and opportunities related to switching from single-use to reusable foodware materials in local businesses?”

Join us next week for a learning session on how we can create a ReusableTO!

Thanks to strong public demand, Toronto passed a Single-Use and Take Away Items Reduction Strategy last year. Now, the City is seeking input on regulations to reduce single-use foodware items - such as cups, utensils and bags. 

This is a key moment to show support for a Single-Use Reduction Strategy that moves quickly to eliminate unnecessary disposables and makes a real shift towards reusable alternatives! Have your say by March 6th.

The 2022 City Budget process is underway, and soon, City Council will be making decisions about funding for critical City programs, services, and infrastructure, from public transit, to housing and shelters, to libraries, to climate action. While Toronto passed an ambitious new Net Zero Strategy in December, more action is needed to make sure this strategy is funded so we can increase our climate resilience and improve the wellbeing of Toronto residents.

This week, City Council will be discussing the results of the City of Toronto Golf Course Review and will vote on next steps. Read our joint letter below. 

On January 11th, the Infrastructure and Environment Committee met and discussed a new report with the results of a public consultation on the future use of City-operated golf courses lands and recommendations for alternative community uses for parts of these lands - uses like Indigenous placekeeping, parks and trails, community food growing, expanded community access and natural regeneration. 

Since TEA launched our Zero Waste High-Rise Project, we’ve worked with residents and staff of dozens of multi-residential buildings across Toronto to find solutions to their waste challenges. 

On December 15th, Toronto City Council passed the TransformTO Net Zero Strategy, officially setting a new target for Toronto of net zero emissions by 2040. While this is a great step in Toronto’s climate ambition, and we had a number of wins to strengthen the strategy, there are still unanswered questions around how the plan will be funded and how these ambitious commitments will become concrete action. Read more about what happened, what we won, and what’s next.

Toronto is updating its climate action plan, with a new target of net zero emissions by 2040! Last week, the City released the draft TransformTO Net Zero Strategy. Increasing our targets is critical - but implementing the Strategy is key and it will require a robust plan of action and new sources of funding. Read our analysis of the new TransformTO Net Zero Strategy and our recommendations. 

Toronto is releasing a new TransformTO Net Zero Strategy - an update to the TransformTO climate plan - with a target of net-zero by 2050 or sooner. This is a critical time to ramp up Toronto’s climate ambition and set us on a path to a climate-safe future. 

We need climate action now. Since a large share of emissions — about 70 per cent — come from cities globally, we are looking to cities like Toronto to adopt strong climate measures and do our part to make a significant impact on global emissions. 

However, it can be challenging to navigate the numerous climate policies, strategies, plans, and programs at every level of government.

TEA has put together this brief explainer blog to break down what exactly we need to know about Toronto’s climate plans and strategies - especially as the City’s new draft TransformTO Net Zero Strategy is due to be released! 

Cities have a critical role to play in the fight against climate change. TEA is proud to be part of the Urban Climate Alliance (UCA), a coalition of organizations advocating for climate action at the municipal level.