As part of a global movement to cut carbon emissions, the City of Toronto is targeting an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. In cities around the world, efforts to mitigate the harms of climate change involves transformative investment in new infrastructure and built form, as well as changes in consumer habits and everyday behaviour.

Developed through the City's partnership with the Toronto Atmospheric Fund, the TransformTO initiative is designed to set out "a detailed action plan" for a low-carbon future in both the short and the long term. With a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions—compared to 1990 levels of approximately 27 million tonnes per year city-wide—targeted by 2020, the immediate future will see continued progress in sustainability. According to the City, emissions have already been reduced by 25% compared to 1990 levels (below).

Comparing targeted and actual greenhouse gas emissions, image courtesy of the City of Toronto

The goal of reducing carbon output—and creating a more resilient city in the face of climate change—has already become a priority for the City in recent years. Initiatives like the Power to Live Green sustainable energy strategy, the Climate Change Action Plan, and Ahead of the The Storm: Preparing for Climate Change, all set out key priorities for a more sustainable and adaptive future.

Toronto's changing climate will require new resilience initiatives, image courtesy of the City of Toronto

While many of the City's existing plans set out large-scale strategies, TransformTO is bringing these changes into conversation with the daily lives of Toronto residents and business owners. To help guide a more defined policy framework to meet both long and short-term emissions targets, TransformTO has engaged residents through four City-hosted events, which will be followed by a series of "community conversations."

A breakdown of GHG emissions, image courtesy of the City of Toronto

Residents throughout Toronto are now invited to host and participate in the community conversations, discussing the City's wide-ranging sustainability plans at a local level. The City's plans entail a diverse set of programs, including the promotion of solar power, building new transit and more energy-efficient buildings, and creating "complete streets" communities. By promoting resident-led discussions about these issues, the City seeks to contextualize its plans within the scope of everyday urban life, taking into account resident priorities and concerns. 

According to the City, "[i]nterested residents are asked to begin the process of hosting a community conversation by emailing the TransformTO team at transform@toronto.ca, and to submit a summary of their conversations to the City by June 20." To help lay the groundwork for the discussions, the City will also "provide a variety of materials to support the community conversations, including the TransformTO Conversation Kit," as well as the "background materials used at four City-hosted events earlier this spring."

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More information about TransformTO is available on the City's official website. Interested residents can begin the application process for hosting an event here. Want to share your thoughts about TransformTO and the City's climate change plans? Feel free to leave a comment in the space below this page.