Blog

The U.S. is leaving the Paris Agreement, Canada’s not. Why follow on weakening car emissions standards?

5/2018 - Allowing our vehicle emission standards to roll back would harm our climate, our health, and our economy. In this op-ed originally published in The Hill Times, TAF CEO Julia Langer encourages Canada to stand its ground and continue to pave the way for clean transportation, despite U.S. policy decisions.

Building bridges for climate action: Reflections on Partnership Brokers Training

5/2018 - Complex challenges, such as climate change, require strong, trust-based collaboration within and across all sectors. Check out this guest blog from John Kenney, Natural Resources Canada, to find out how a partnership brokering training course can help you build lasting partnerships and succeed in your collective goals.

Electric meters in a row measuring power use.

Introducing the Green Button: Empowering consumers through energy data

5/2018 - Smarter energy choices for your home: Ontario's proposed Green Button program will provide energy customers province-wide with access to their energy consumption and spending data. With improved energy efficiency in our homes and buildings, we can reduce emissions and get even closer to our TransformTO and provincial climate goals.

Five myths about ethanol and renewable fuels

5/2018 - As Ontario's transportation emissions continue to rise, increased use of ethanol and other renewable fuels can be an important step in the transition to a low-carbon transportation system. Read our myth-busting blog to clear up common misconceptions and find out about some key environmental benefits of ethanol.

Mobility as a service: The value proposition for the public and our urban systems

5/2018 - The future of urban transportation: Mobility as a Service can offer major benefits for cities, including reducing congestion and improving the economics and flexibility of—and accessibility to—existing transit services. Learn more about the potential impacts of Mobility as a Service in the GTHA in our guest blog by MaRS.

Photo Credit: Ontario Growth Secretariat, Ministry of Municipal Affairs

More than meets the eye: Don’t let simple payback steer your retrofit decision

5/2018 - Simple payback is often used to determine the attractiveness of an investment - but is it shortchanging you on your energy retrofit decision? Tim Stoate, TAF VP of Impact Investing, explains why you should consider additional financial analysis to make a more informed building retrofit decision and ultimately generate more cash.

Heat pumps: Hybrid dual fuel option offers viable pathway to electrification

4/2018 - Since buildings and homes account for almost a quarter of the province’s carbon emissions, we need innovative low-carbon heating solutions. A new study by MaRS Advanced Energy Center and Enbridge demonstrates that a smart, hybrid dual fuel option offers a viable pathway to electrification for home heating in Ontario.

Copyright Queen's Printer for Ontario, photo source: Ontario Growth Secretariat, Ministry of Municipal Affairs

TransformTO neighbourhood grants: TAF invests $100,000 in 2018

4/2018 - This year, TAF will provide grants to local engagement projects that will help shape the creation of the TransformTO Low-Carbon Neighbourhoods campaign. We're looking for initiatives to broaden community engagement by exploring and conveying the co-benefits of key climate actions. Get in touch with your ideas to TransformTO.

Collective impact: Improving public transit in Hamilton

4/2018 - Improved and expanded public transit is a clear solution for a more sustainable, equitable, and healthy city. Environment Hamilton wants to encourage modal shift to reduce transportation-related emissions – but Hamilton's public transportation system must first be safe, accessible, affordable, and reliable. Learn more about Hamilton transit in this guest blog by Ian Borsuk.

TransformTO Steps: Lake Ontario points to the future of district energy

4/2018 - Did you know Lake Ontario is a valuable renewable energy source for many of Toronto’s largest downtown buildings? TAF was an early supporter of Enwave's deep lake water cooling system, but what's next? In this blog, we discuss the future of district energy and its contribution to Toronto’s carbon reduction goals.

All aboard the community benefits bus

4/2018 - Local jobs and better public spaces: Check out what we learned from the Finch West LRT bus tour organized by the Toronto Community Benefits Network. Through collaboration with community groups, we will continue to explore how Community Benefits Agreements might be used to leverage public funding of climate solutions – like building retrofits – for multiple benefits.

TAF rolls out new Low Carbon Cannabis Canada initiative

4/2018 - To counter the risk of rising carbon emissions from legalized marijuana cultivation, TAF plans a joint pan-Canadian initiative with growers, provincial governments, and former police chiefs. The goal is to limit the budding industry's carbon footprint and ultimately ensure that Canadians can get high on low-emissions cannabis.