Today, the City of Toronto released its 2019 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory, which tracks Toronto’s progress towards GHG reduction targets and identifies key emissions sources. The City confirmed it is on track to exceed its 2020 target of a 30 per cent emissions reduction, based on 1990 levels.
In October 2019, City Council unanimously voted to declare a climate emergency, accelerate its efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change, and adopt a stronger emissions target for Toronto: net zero emissions by 2050 or sooner. The City’s interim GHG reduction targets are 30 per cent by 2020 and 65 per cent by 2030, based on 1990 levels.
2019 GHG Inventory highlights
Along with TransformTO, major initiatives the City has undertaken to reduce emissions include:
In response to City Council’s climate emergency declaration in 2019, the City is updating its TransformTO climate action strategy to meet an accelerated GHG emissions reduction target of net zero by 2050 or sooner.
Like other major cities globally, the City releases its emissions inventory on a two-year lag cycle. To ensure the best available data, Toronto waits for Canada’s inventory to be submitted to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change, as part of its commitment to the Paris Agreement. Canada’s submission contains detailed province-specific values that are used to calculate Toronto’s emissions.
On November 18, 2021, the City was recognized as a global leader on environmental action and transparency, achieving a place on the “CDP Cities A List” for the fourth consecutive year. CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project), an environmental impact non-profit organization, runs the global environmental disclosure system that helps companies, cities and regions measure and manage their risks, and opportunities, on climate change, water security and deforestation.
More information about the City’s 2019 GHG Inventory is available online.
Quotes:
“Addressing the impacts of climate change has increasingly become an issue that requires immediate attention. The City of Toronto made it clear that not only did we want to lead when it came to reducing our carbon footprint, but that we would implement policies to make it happen as quickly as possible. The City along with its residents, businesses and partners have made great strides in reducing community-wide GHG emissions, but we still have work to do. I remain committed to addressing this issue and supporting changes that will help us reduce our footprint and make Toronto a cleaner and greener city.”
– Mayor John Tory
“We must continue to work together – residents, businesses and all levels of government – to address the climate emergency. Transforming how we live, build and travel will be challenging and we must all do our part.”
– Councillor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park), Chair of Parks and Environment Committee and the Mayor’s Environment and Resilience Champion
Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City’s website or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.