In 2024, the City of Toronto convened the Toronto Residents’ Reference Panel on Inclusive Climate Action (the “Panel”) to gather input from 35 residents as it prepared to update the next five-year TransformTO Net Zero Strategy: Action Plan 2026-2030.
The Panel was brought together so that residents could have a hand in shaping the City’s climate-related programs, policies, supports and incentives, and provide recommendations on aligning proposed actions with community values. Panel members contemplated how Toronto can reduce community-wide greenhouse gas emissions while also fostering a livable and resilient city where everyone has access to benefits such as better buildings and good job opportunities.
You can find the Panel’s recommendations in the Final Report of the Toronto Residents’ Reference Panel on Inclusive Climate Action.
A residents’ reference panel is a group of randomly selected people tasked with closely examining an issue or policy and making consensus recommendations to governments and public agencies that reflect the concerns and priorities of the community. There have been over 50 Reference Panels held across Canada over the last 10 years. Reference Panels are well-suited to examining complex issues because they provide residents with the opportunity to learn, discuss and find consensus between people with different perspectives and from different backgrounds.
More than 300 people volunteered for the Toronto Residents’ Reference Panel on Inclusive Climate Action. Many of these volunteers had received a letter in the mail telling them about the Panel and inviting them to volunteer. Some learned about it directly on this web page. Each volunteer indicated their interest by answering a few demographic questions in a questionnaire. This civic lottery process ensured that members of the panel were fairly selected and broadly representative of Toronto’s demographics.
The 35 selected members of the Panel met in-person three times, in November and December 2024. The Panel engaged with subject matter experts, City staff and each other to understand the barriers to inclusive climate action and to develop recommendations for making Toronto’s climate strategies more accessible, equitable and effective.
Together, they identified six barriers to inclusive climate action and then developed 29 recommendations to address these barriers. See the final report detailing the recommendations that emerged from this Panel.