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UrbanToronto is celebrating 20 YEARS throughout October with stories and images looking back over the last two decades. Today we look at Toronto's green initiatives over the past 20 years and how they have guided CreateTO.
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Over the past twenty years, Toronto has undergone an unprecedented growth spurt, which has strained its ability to function well, but during which time it has also emerged as a North American leader in sustainable urban development. Responding to housing demand (and its intendant infrastructure needs), the City at the same time committed to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and champion green transportation alternatives. Fulfilling the commitment has been a transformative journey, marked by several initiatives meant to cover a broad spectrum of development and lifestyle issues.
A Historical Perspective
Toronto's more codified push towards a greener future started in 2006 when the City began to work out performance requirements for new development. Called the Toronto Green Standard (TGS), the first version was put into effect for new developments in 2010. In 2022, the TGS Version 4 was put into effect, superseding the previous version with more stringent targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions by a further 25% and energy use intensity by 28% for new mid-high rise residential and commercial buildings, in comparison to Version 3.
Some of the City's green initiatives directly affect how CreateTO operates. Established by the City of Toronto in 2018, CreateTO manages the City’s real estate portfolio to "develop City buildings and lands for municipal purposes, and provide real estate solutions to City divisions, agencies, and corporations." Highlighting the agency's role in the implementation of development policy, CEO Vic Gupta commented, "We are a unique organization blending a private sector mentality with a public-good lens. It's outlined in our Strategic Plan that we leverage the real estate in a way that adds value to the city." CreateTO's scope encompasses not only the construction of new City buildings but also the retrofitting of existing City structures to meet elevated environmental standards. These measures are expected to save the cumulative equivalent of over 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide GHG emissions by 2050, akin to removing more than 300,000 cars off the road each year.
Beyond Buildings: A Holistic Approach
Toronto's vision includes more than buildings as isolated structures. The Community Energy Plan — for the Mount Dennis area, for example — takes a holistic approach to energy, acknowledging that a city's energy footprint extends beyond buildings, encompassing resident commutes, waste management, and public space utilization.
With the goal of reducing energy use and increasing the utilization of renewable, low-carbon energy sources, Community Energy Planning has been pivotal in the extensive greening of homes and the development and use of District Energy Systems across various neighbourhoods like Lawrence-Allen and Mimico-by-the-Lake.
The Ontario Climate Strategy
The Ontario government was also beginning to move on sustainability in the first decade of the 2000s. The Province set Climate Strategy goals in 2007 aiming for a 6% GHG emission reduction below 1990 levels by 2014, with long-term objectives of a 15% reduction by 2020 and 80% by 2050, while announcing $17.5 billion in rapid transit investment, and then in 2008 rolled out a slew of initiatives, including the Municipal Eco Challenge Fund, a standard offer program for clean energy projects, and a green industrial strategy, entailing $20 million in grants and $200 million in loans. It was these early initiatives that started the move towards two-way all-day service on the GO system, and electrifying the lines, a goal that — while progress has been made through several infrastructure improvements — is still a ways off. More on regional transit later.
The TransformTO Initiative
In recent years, the City has drafted evermore plans to achieve climate goals. Among those, 2016 saw the introduction of TransformTO. This initiative first aimed to reduce GHG emissions to net zero by 2050, but by 2020, the City of Toronto had already made significant strides in its commitment to reducing GHG emissions. The City surpassed its target, achieving a 43% reduction in GHG emissions compared to 1990 levels. This achievement is especially noteworthy considering the global context: while worldwide COVID-19 restrictions led to a 7% drop in global GHG emissions in 2020, (the largest decline on record), while in Toronto, this translated to a 13% reduction in GHG emissions from 2019 levels. The transportation sector saw the most significant decrease in emissions, dropping by about one-fifth from 2019 to 2020. Meanwhile, buildings sector emissions, primarily driven by natural gas usage, accounted for 58% of community-wide emissions.
The TransformTO initiative won the Environment, Climate, and Energy Award at the 9th annual American Planning Association Awards for Excellence in Sustainability in 2022 for its substantial impact. Reflecting its early successes, Toronto City Council then adopted the TransformTO 2022 Annual Report and Carbon Accountability Report in May of this year, refocusing TransformTO's aim to reduce community wide GHG emissions to net zero by 2040, 10 years earlier, one of the most ambitious targets in North America. In the interim, ambitious goals for 2030 set under TransformTO across various sectors depict a roadmap towards achieving the net-zero emissions target by 2040.
The establishment of a Climate Advisory Group (CAG) further solidifies the City's commitment. Comprising 26 members from diverse backgrounds and sectors, the CAG will meet quarterly for three years to advise and champion climate action.
Transitioning to Low-Emission Public Transit
Aiming for a 65% reduction in fleet emissions by 2030, the Green Fleets Plan 2020-2030 is another City initiative dedicated to sustainability through a transition to low-carbon vehicles within the fleets run by all City agencies. They include the over 10,000 vehicles operated by the City's Fleet Services Division, the Toronto Transit Commission (other than electrically powered streetcars and subways), the Toronto Police Service, Toronto Fire Services, Toronto Paramedic Services, Toronto Community Housing, Exhibition Place, the Toronto Zoo, the Toronto Parking Authority, and the Toronto Public Library. The plan does not include vehicles owned and operated by private companies who contract with the City.
For example, the TTC has obtained 255 hybrid electric buses and 60 fully electric ones, and awarded contracts for the procurement of 336 hybrid electric buses for 2023. In addition, an RFP was issued in April, 2022 for procurement of 240 electric buses by 2025. Fleet Services is embarking on a major expansion of EV infrastructure for a transition to zero-emission vehicles, with plans for more than 850 fleet charge ports by 2025.
Beyond infrastructure and fleet management, the City is actively engaging with communities to foster awareness about EVs. This involves hosting events, offering resources, and partnering with local organizations to drive the green message home.
Electric Vehicles: A Charged-Up Initiative by the City of Toronto
Toronto's Electric Vehicle (EV) Strategy aims to bolster private EV adoption as well, targeting an impressive 80% reduction in vehicular GHG emissions in Toronto by 2050. To support this initiative, the City, in collaboration with Toronto Hydro and other partners, is expanding the public EV charging network. By 2021, Toronto Hydro made notable strides, installing 17 Level 2 charging stations across the city.
In 2021, the Board of Directors of the Toronto Parking Authority authorized negotiations for electric vehicle charging infrastructure agreements. This was done in consultation with Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited and CreateTO. Earlier this year, the Toronto Parking Authority announced its own EV charging network, with plans to install over 300 off-street and 100 on-street chargers by the end of 2023.
2041 Regional Transportation Plan: A Vision by Metrolinx
Metrolinx's 2041 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) offers a blueprint for the region’s transit. The primary focus of the RTP is to enhance access to fast, frequent, and reliable transit, making it more convenient for regular commuters, occasional travellers, and those brining bikes on board. Achieving the goals set out in the 2041 RTP necessitates the combined efforts of the transit agencies involved, municipal and regional governments, Metrolinx, the Province of Ontario, and the federal government.
With a third of greenhouse gas emissions in Ontario coming from transportation, the plan aims for a massive reduction in the coming decades, much of it from making where we commute to and from more accessible by transit. The plan will therefore put 38% of people's homes within 400m (walking distance) of frequent rapid transit in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area by 2041, compared to just 9% as of 2011. Work-wise, this goal translates to 49% of jobs in the region, compared to 21% in 2011.
The Road Ahead
Gupta stresses the importance of building and developing these sustainable transit hubs, sharing that "We have got to continue to invest in transit… to create the opportunity to develop the mixed-use communities in and around transit hubs." Gupta also notes, however, the uncertainty of future transit usage rates, especially in relation to the hybrid work environment. "It's going to be really interesting to see how the situation evolves. We're all in a little bit of uncharted territory. How does the market evolve post COVID, with the choices people are making about where they're working, about whether the hybrid workplace is here to stay. What does that mean for the future design of office space in the city?"
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EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been edited to correct the fleet emissions reduction target from 50 to 65%.
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UrbanToronto will return tomorrow with another story celebrating 20 YEARS. In the meantime, check back often to our front page and Forum to keep an eye on all the current and emerging trends, and you can always leave your comments in the space below.
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Thank you to the companies joining UrbanToronto to celebrate our 20 years in business.
