Toronto adopts plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050

TheGlobeAndMail.com
July 5, 2017

Toronto city council has adopted a climate action plan setting out a road map that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.

It calls for a 65 per cent reduction in community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 from 1990 levels and for all new buildings to be near zero emissions by that date.

The city also aims to have all existing buildings retrofitted to the highest emission reduction technically feasible, while limiting affordability impacts to residents, by 2050.

The Toronto Environmental Alliance calls the retrofitting of every building in Toronto by 2050 a bold action.

Spokeswoman Dusha Sritharan says if done properly, the plan will create good local jobs and make life more affordable, especially for residents in social housing.

Toronto’s climate plan will require $6.7 million in new funding in 2018 to get started.

“Now that the climate plan is adopted, we need to make sure it is put into action,” said Sritharan. “That’s why we will be looking carefully at the city’s 2018 budget to make sure the $6.7 million is there to begin building a greener and more prosperous city.”