A new report card released by the Urban Climate Alliance (UCA) outlines how municipal governments in Ottawa, Toronto, Oakville, Hamilton and Windsor are addressing climate change. The report card finds that the five cities are facing similar challenges.
Each of the Urban Climate Alliance groups - including the Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) - undertook a detailed analysis of climate action planning in their municipality. The result of this collaborative analysis is the first UCA City Climate Action Plan Report Card.
Municipal climate action needs Provincial support to succeed
While all five cities already have climate action plans, the report shows these 5 cities are failing in some key common areas, including:
- Adequately resourcing their plans
- Meeting their implementation timelines
- Engaging communities in climate actions
- Having clear and accountable monitoring and reporting mechanisms
While Toronto’s own climate plan was a bold strategy that took a strong co-benefits approach, it has been chronically underfunded, delaying fully implementing the plan. Similarly, the other four cities have also faced delays in funding climate action.
The Province needs to properly use the tools at its disposal, like carbon pricing, to help cities implement their plans.
About the Urban Climate Alliance (UCA)
The Urban Climate Alliance is a group of 5 urban-based environmental groups in Ontario that includes: Citizens Environment Alliance, Environment Hamilton, Oakvillegreen Conservation Association, Toronto Environmental Alliance, and Ecology Ottawa.
The Urban Climate Alliance focuses on local engagement and solutions to climate change. For over 3 years, most recently with the support of the Echo Foundation, we have been learning from each other, exchanging best practices, teaching each other new skills and helping each other solve problems.
What keeps us working together is the strong belief that our 5 organizations can get more done in our local communities and at Queen's Park by working together.
MORE INFORMATION:
- Read the 2018 UCA Community Climate Action Plan Report Card.
- Read the detailed report card which provides an in-depth assessment of each community and is structured so that you can compare one municipality’s result to the others.
- Read the media release.