TransformTO, Net Zero Strategy, and GHG Inventories

TransformTO is Toronto’s ambitious climate action strategy. TransformTO will reduce local greenhouse gas emissions, and improve our health, grow our economy, and improve social equity. Everyone will have a part to play in transforming Toronto into a low-carbon city.

The City has developed a draft Net Zero Strategy in response to City Council’s Climate Emergency declaration. The Strategy outlines a pathway to achieve net zero emissions in Toronto and will be considered by the City’s Infrastructure and Environment Committee (IEC) on December 2, 2021. The Net Zero Strategy will build on the initial TransformTO plan, updated technical modelling, international best practices, and the results of public consultations held between 2018 and 2021.

Once approved, the Net Zero Strategy will be available on the TransformTO website. To receive ongoing updates on TransformTO, please sign up for email updates at the bottom of the page.

According to the latest inventory release (2019), overall emissions have been reduced 38 per cent from 1990 levels, while Toronto’s population and economy continued to grow. Toronto must rapidly decrease its annual emissions to meet future targets.

  • 57 per cent of GHG emissions in Toronto come from homes and buildings, primarily from burning natural gas to heat indoor spaces and water
  • 36 per cent of GHG emissions in Toronto are generated by transportation, with the majority of those emissions attributed to personal vehicles
  • 7 per cent of GHG emissions in Toronto are generated by waste, with landfill emissions being the primary emissions source

Note: Since the previous GHG inventory reports were published, several adjustments to the calculation to account for new emission sources and methodological changes have been made. The latest inventory release (2019) has the most up to date values.

Community-Wide Emissions Reduced 37 per cent from 1990 Levels

The City’s 2018 inventory on community-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – which measures the emissions from energy use in buildings, vehicles, waste and industry – indicates that GHG emissions in Toronto were 37 per cent lower in 2018 than in 1990.

Key findings:

Community-wide GHG emissions were 16.2 million tonnes (MT) carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) in 2018, which is 37 per cent lower than in 1990. Toronto is on track to exceed its 2020 target of a 30 per cent reduction in GHG emissions.

  • 55 per cent of GHG emissions in Toronto come from homes and buildings, primarily from burning natural gas to heat indoor spaces and water
  • 36 per cent of GHG emissions in Toronto are generated by transportation, with the majority generated by personal vehicles
  • 9 per cent of GHG emissions in Toronto are generated by waste

Reporting annually is part of the City’s commitment to address climate change and inform the development of its climate strategy and policy.

Read more about the 2018 GHG Inventory

Note: Since the previous GHG inventory reports were published, several adjustments to the calculation to account for new emission sources and methodological changes have been made. The latest inventory release (2019) has the most up to date values.

Community-Wide Emissions Reduced 44 per cent from 1990 Levels

The City’s 2017 inventory on community-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – which measures the emissions from energy use in buildings, vehicles, waste and industry – indicates that GHG emissions in Toronto were 44 per cent lower in 2017 than in 1990.

Key findings:

Emissions from all sectors continue to go down, even in the context of economic and population growth.

  • 52 per cent of GHG emissions in Toronto come from homes and buildings, primarily from burning natural gas to heat indoor spaces and water
  • 38 per cent of GHG emissions in Toronto are generated by transportation, with 80 per cent generated by personal vehicles
  • 10 per cent of GHG emissions in Toronto are generated by waste

Reporting annually is part of the City’s commitment to address climate change and inform the development of its climate strategy and policy.

Read more about the 2017 GHG inventory in the first TransformTO Implementation Update

Toronto’s greenhouse gas reduction targets, based on 1990 levels:

  • 30 per cent by 2020
  • 65 per cent by 2030
  • Net zero by 2050, or sooner

Achieving these targets will require transformational changes in how we live, work, commute, and build.

To reduce the worst impacts of climate change, TransformTO has set the following goals.

Homes and buildings:

  • By 2030, all new buildings will be built to produce near-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
  • By 2050, all existing buildings will have been retrofitted to achieve net zero emissions.

Energy:

  • By 2050, 100 per cent of energy will come from renewable or low-carbon sources.

Transportation:

  • By 2050, 100 per cent of vehicles in Toronto will use low-carbon energy; 75 per cent of trips under 5 km will be walked or cycled.

Waste Diversion:

  • By 2050, we will have advanced towards a zero-waste circular economy.

With the support of community consultations and technical scenario modelling, TransformTO identified strategies that will reduce Toronto’s emissions and lead to a low-carbon city that is healthier, more prosperous and more equitable. More than 2,000 Torontonians were engaged in developing the plan.

Reports and updates on the TransformTO strategy and community engagement.

In 2016 and 2017, nearly 2,000 Torontonians provided input on the development of the City’s climate action strategy, TransformTO, by participating in events and an online survey.

In 2019, members of the public were encouraged to provide input on Toronto’s climate actions and priorities through four City-hosted public meetings, an online survey, community-hosted conversation events, and the TransformTO Reference Panel on Climate Action.

Thank you to everyone who participated through these initiatives. Special thanks also to the 20+ community groups that hosted their own TransformTO community conversations.

A report summarizing and presenting the 2019 consultation findings is now available here. The Reference Panel final report is available here.

Learn how you can get involved.

Early in 2016, the City began a technical modelling exercise to assess how greenhouse gas emissions will change over time in key sectors – buildings, transportation, waste, energy sources, land use – given current federal, provincial and municipal policies and programs.

See the TransformTO technical modelling scenarios and learn how they will be used.

CityInSight Opens in new window is a data visualization tool for the City’s TransformTO Climate Action Strategy. You can use the tool to get a better understanding of the projected emissions for Toronto, and you can manipulate certain variables for your own analysis and research.

Learn about TransformTO’s new tool to visualize projected emissions for Toronto.

Stay tuned for ways that you can get involved and share your feedback. To sign up for email updates on TransformTO, please subscribe below.

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Stay informed about what the City of Toronto and its partners are doing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the city. You may unsubscribe at any time.

 

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