Toronto’s green sector is strong and growing rapidly as economic decision-makers realize that protecting the environment is also good for creating jobs and local wealth. Toronto’s green sector employs more than 60,000 people.

Love bikes and cycling culture? There are many roles to pursue within the biking industry, from floor tech or shop mechanic to store manager and local brand rep. Below are several bike repair training programs in Toronto:

  • The Learning Enrichment Foundation (LEF)
    Contact: info@lefca.org
    LEF operates a bike shop and bicycle mechanics training facility. It offers a variety of Bicycle Assembly and Maintenance Training Programs which provide the skills required to start a career as a bicycle mechanic, including:

    • Bicycle Assembly Certificate
    • Road Bike Ergonomics
    • Disc Brakes Servicing for Road and Mountain Bikes
    • Tubeless Tire Set-up for Mountain Bikes
  • Charlie’s Freewheels
    Contact: info@charliesfreewheels.ca
    Charlie’s Freewheels improves youth access to bicycles, facilitating bicycle-related skill development:

    • Pre-Employment Bike Mechanic Training: (paid, for participants aged 16 to 30)
    • Build-A-Bike Program: (free, for participants aged 12 to 25)
  • The Canadian Electric Bicycle Association (CEBA)
    Contact: info@cebassociation.ca
    CEBA offers training that covers every major component on an e-bike, focusing on using the proper diagnostic equipment and techniques to diagnose any make or model of e-bike:

    • E-Bike Technician Certification
  • CultureLink
    Contact: bikehub@culturelink.ca
    Culture Link operates non-profit hubs in Toronto that provide training, education, free bikes for new riders and access to program space for the repair of bicycles for low-income residents free of charge. It offers a free, eight-week program enabling participants to repair their own bikes, gain more confidence while cycling and maybe even start a career as a bike mechanic. All participants can keep the bike they refurbished, earning it through their work.

    • Earn-A-Bike Program
  • Cycle Toronto
    Contact: info@cycleto.ca
    Cycle Toronto is a member-supported charity that offers free workshops by request, including:

    • Basic Bike Maintenance Workshop

Toronto’s Bike Industry

Toronto has a long history of making bikes. To learn more about Toronto’s bike industry, download the directory below.

Download the Toronto Bike Directory (July 2023)

Jobs in the Green Sectors (2019)*

Pie Chart with 2019 Data on Distribution of Jobs in Green Sectors

  • Total: 60,700 jobs
  • Sustainable Transportation: 22,900 (38%)
  • Resource Management: 10,100 (17%)
  • Green Buildings: 13,100 (21%)
  • Clean Energy: 8,400 (14%)
  • Bio-Economy: 6,200 (10%)

Green Sectors Employment Growth – 5 Year Annual Average (2015-2019)*

Chart of Green Sectors Employment Growth – 5 Year Annual Average (2015-2019).

  • Toronto (all industries): 1.6%
  • Green Sector – total: 3.9%
  • Bio-Economy: 2.1%
  • Clean Energy: 2.2%
  • Green Buildings: 3.5%
  • Resource Management: 4.5%
  • Sustainable Transportation: 4.9%

Green Sectors Real GDP Contribution (2018, in 2012 dollars, $ millions)*

Pie Chart of Green Sectors Real GDP Contribution (2018, in 2012 dollars)

  • Total: $6.55 billion
  • Resource Management: $2,033 (31%)
  • Clean Energy: $1,467 (22%)
  • Sustainable Transportation: $1,439 (22%)
  • Green Buildings: $1,291 (20%)
  • Bio-Economy: $324 (5%)

Green Sectors Real GDP 5-Year Growth (2014-2018, in 2012 dollars)*

Chart of Green Sectors Real GDP 5-Year Growth (2014-2018, in 2012 dollars)

  • Green Sector (total): 22%
  • Resource Management: 32%
  • Clean Energy: 27%
  • Sustainable Transportation: 2%
  • Green Buildings: 24%
  • Bio-Economy: 70%

Average Weekly Wages in the Green Sectors – 5 Year Average (2015-2019)*

Chart with Average Weekly Wages in the Green Sectors – 5 Year Average (2015-2019)

  • Clean Energy: $1,384
  • Sustainable Transportation: $1,246
  • Resource Management: $1,208
  • Green Buildings: $1,183
  • Bio-Economy: $1,003

Distribution of Companies in the Green Sectors (2020)**

Pie chart of Distribution of Companies in the Green Sectors in 2020

  • Total: 430 companies
  • In multiple sectors: 13%
  • Green Professional Services: 4%
  • Sustainable Transportation: 6%
  • Resource Management: 29%
  • Green Buildings: 10%
  • Clean Energy: 24%
  • Bio-Economy: 14%

Supply Chains in the Green Sectors (2020)**

 Pie chart of Supply Chains in the Green Sectors

  • Associations/NGOs: 10%
  • Education: 2%
  • Government/Government Agencies: 1%
  • Manufacturing: 13%
  • Professional Services: 6%
  • Research: 2%
  • Retail: 1%
  • Service Providers: 20%
  • Wholesale: 0%
  • Not Identified: 45%

* Data Sources: Statistics Canada – 2006 and 2016 Census, 2011 National Household Survey, Labour Force Survey, Canadian Business Counts, Jobs, Wages and GDP by industry (NAICS) were calculated by City of Toronto Economic Development and Culture – Research Staff.** The number of companies listed here does not represent all companies in the green sectors in Toronto. Data source: City of Toronto Economic Development and Culture division database. Companies by sector were calculated by City of Toronto Sector Development Staff. The methodology used to identify clusters and their sizes is based on methodology used by the Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity in its 2017 Cluster Study.

[While not comprehensive, the above list provides a snapshot of Toronto’s diverse Green sector and some of the companies located here.]

 

  • Centre for Urban Energy
    Located at Toronto Metropolitan University, the Centre for Urban Energy is an academic-industry partnership that explores and develops sustainable solutions to urban energy challenges such as the advancement of smart grid technologies and integration of energy storage, electric vehicles and renewables.
  • Centre for Social Innovation
    Home to 1,000 nonprofits, charities and social ventures in Toronto, the Centre for Social Innovation supports its members with the spaces, knowledge, tools, resources and connections they need to grow.
  • Climate Ventures
    Part of the Centre for Social Innovation, this climate solutions incubator supports green entrepreneurs, innovators, enterprises and organizations with coworking, community, advisory services, training, and accelerator programs.
  • Green Roof Innovation Testing Laboratory (GRIT Lab)
    Located in the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, GRIT Lab facilitates multidisciplinary collaboration by linking the fields of landscape architecture, biology, hydrology and building science, with the goal of investigating the environmental performance associated with green and clean technologies.
  • Sustainable Technologies Evaluation Program (STEP)
    The Sustainable Technologies Evaluation Program is a multi-agency initiative developed to support broader implementation of sustainable technologies and practices within a Canadian context.

Green Market Acceleration Program
The Green Market Acceleration Program (GMAP) provides local firms and foreign investors with an opportunity to collaborate with the City of Toronto in order to accelerate the development and commercialization of made-in-Toronto green technologies.

Toronto Region Green Industries Directory

The Toronto Region Green Industries Directory* (September 2024 edition) lists organizations in the green sectors in the Greater Toronto Area.

Download the Industries Directory

Download the Directory Spreadsheet (Excel)

Directory of the Toronto Bicycle Industry

The Directory of Toronto Bicycle Industry* lists organizations in the Greater Toronto Area that make, sell and service bikes, e-bikes and other light personal vehicles. It also provides information on bike parking and how to learn to repair and maintain your bike.

Download the Toronto Bike Directory


Found an error or have a question? Please contact greentech@toronto.ca

To add your organization, or to update an existing listing in the directory, please fill out the online form.

*This directory is not to be considered a complete listing of all companies and organizations operating in the green sector in the vicinity of the city of Toronto. While every effort is made to maintain accuracy, the City does not guarantee that the information contained in the directory is always correct or accurate. The City does not warrant or make any representations as to the quality, content, accuracy or completeness of the information. The City makes no warranties, expressed or implied as to the fitness of the information for any purpose, or to results obtained by individuals using the information and is not responsible for any action taken in reliance on the information contained in the directory.

Notes and Definitions

We define organizations that are in the green sector as those that have economic activities that reduce environmental impacts through:

  1. Environmental protection and remediation activities
  2. The sustainable use of natural resources
  3. The supply chain of goods and services that are significantly less energy or resource intensive than industry standards

Segments of the Green Sector

Bio-Economy
Businesses and other organizations involved in the harvesting and preparation of biomass for use in non- industry-standard types of products or service offerings. While the forest industry is a sustainable sector, the use of wood for purposes such as housing construction and furniture is part of society’s norm and hence are not included here. Businesses involved in the production or sale of food and beverages and businesses engaged in the development and sale of pharmaceuticals or life sciences-related products are excluded. Examples: Urban sawmills, furniture made from urban wood, green chemistry (bio-plastics), bio-fuels.

Green Energy
Businesses and other organizations engaged in the manufacturing, distribution and/or servicing of renewable energy, energy storage, smart grid, or energy efficiency technologies and services. Examples: Solar, wind, geo-thermal, waste to energy, batteries, district energy, smart thermostats, LED lights.

Green Buildings
Businesses and other organizations engaged in building practices with materials and processes that are environmentally responsible and use significantly less energy or resources at all stages of a building’s life-cycle (siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition). Businesses that install clean energy components to buildings, and businesses that install green roofs are included. Examples: Energy efficient windows, green roofs, builders.

Resource Management & Environmental Protection
Businesses and other organizations that focus on the sustainable use of natural resources, either through the management or development of natural resources, which ensures that the needs of the present are meet through environmentally responsible economic growth that does not compromise the ability of future generation to meet their own needs. Also included are businesses that focus on activities that are intended to prevent, reduce, or eliminate pollution or other forms of environmental degradation. This includes waste and water treatment, land remediation, recycling, products that are made from recycled goods. For Toronto – recycled wood is considered part of the Bio-Products sector. Examples: Water supply and sanitation, recycling, solid waste, soil remediation, pollution controls, environmental monitoring.

Sustainable Transportation
Businesses and other organizations involved in the manufacturing of products that provide transportation of people and products by modes that use less energy and resources than the standard and firms and organizations that provide those transportation services. This includes all transportation components such as electric vehicles, bikes, buses, trains, and public transit. It includes the full supply chain from manufacturing through to operation of public transport systems. Examples: Electric vehicles and charging stations, bikes, scooters, and public transportation.

Other Green Professional Services
Professions such as accountants, engineers, lawyers who provide support across a number of the green sector segments. Those professional services that focus in a green sector are listed under that sector segment.

Other
Organizations that proved support across a number of the green sector segments. This can include governments, academia, incubator services, NGOs. Those organizations that focus in a green sector are listed under that sector.

The Sector Development Office produces and maintains reports and publications on its key industry sectors.

  • Bike Mechanic Pathways Report (2023) produced by the Centre for Active Transportation (with funding by the City of Toronto)
    This report identifies pathways and policies to support the growth of Toronto’s bicycle industry development and bike mechanics training. The report sheds light on several crucial areas related to the bike mechanic workforce in Toronto.
  • Growing Green Industry Collaboration in Toronto Report (2023) produced by the City of Toronto
    This report identifies pathways to support increased collaboration across Toronto’s green sectors that would accelerate green industry growth. It summarizes major observations from industry consultations and provides recommendations on subsequent actions.
  • Bike Cluster Consultations & Priorities Report (2022) produced by the City of Toronto
    This report highlights five key strategic areas with proposed actions that will support the growth of Toronto’s bike industry.
  • Best Practices on Growing Green Clusters (2019) produced by Canadian Green Building Council – GTA Chapter (supported by the City of Toronto)
    This report highlights the importance of facilitating multi-stakeholder discussions and building collaboration to advance cluster development of the green sector in Toronto and outlines the steps  to facilitate this collaboration and cooperation.
  • Consultations with Toronto’s Green Industries – Summary Report (2019) produced by the City of Toronto
    This report summarizes the findings from the online consultations on the challenges and opportunities for Toronto’s green industries.
  • Consultations with Toronto’s Green Industries – Survey Responses (2019) produced by the City of Toronto
    This report details all the responses to the online consultation on the challenges and opportunities for Toronto’s green industries.
  • Toronto’s Urban Wood Cluster (2017) produced by the City of Toronto
    Results of a survey of Toronto based urban wood companies outlining their growth, challenges and opportunities.