Meet the net zero neighbours: This tiny Toronto group has big climate-change ambitions12/2021 - TORONTO STAR - With a small grant from TAF, the net-zero committee for the Harbord Village Residents Association is developing a pilot project around neighbourhood charging stations.
Hamilton still tops per-person carbon emissions in GTA despite pandemic slowdown12/2021 - THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR - The latest carbon-tracking study from the Atmospheric Fund found emissions in the GTA and Hamilton fell 13 per cent in 2020 as a direct result of a “historic reduction” in vehicle use and industrial output due to COVID-19.
Toronto environmentalists demand action as UN climate conference begins11/2021 - CBC - "The state of play is that we're kind of flat-lining when we actually need to be steeply declining our emissions," says TAF CEO Julia Langer.
How To Heat Your Home Without Heating The Planet11/2021 - CHATELAINE - CEO Julia Langer discusses practical and inspiring reasons to make the switch to heat pumps. "It's not that complicated - you don’t need fossil fuels to heat your home."
Major investments needed to curb staggering emissions from cities11/2021 - THE WEATHER NETWORK - TAF CEO Julia Langer uses lessons from COP26 to focus on implementation - including the critical role of investment in cities.
Putting out the fire: How to cleanly heat a cold country that’s hooked on natural gas11/2021 - CORPORATE KNIGHTS - Without strong policy signals, utilities continue to invest millions annually in expanding and renewing gas distribution infrastructure, compounding the risk of stranded assets and financial disruptions.
Ontario’s energy regulator is blocking efforts that could slash natural gas emissions10/2021 - TORONTO STAR - Ontario needs to conserve natural gas to reduce emissions, but the regulatory process is taking years we cannot afford. Find out why no one is talking about this.
Toronto needs to speed up its electric vehicle infrastructure to meet targets, critics say8/2021 - CBC - The city's aiming to install 10,000 public charging ports by 2030. A pilot project launched last year has seen the city install 17 on-street charging stations, but far more ambitious policies are needed to convince residents to buy in, said TAF's Ian Klesmer.
WoodGreen breaks new ground on social housing with energy-saving project8/2021 - NOW - WoodGreen commissioned Efficiency Capital to fund, develop, and implement a building retrofit plan, bringing in engineering firms SensorSuite Inc. and Finn Projects to do much-needed capital upgrades to the buildings. The project was funded by Efficiency Capital and The Atmospheric Fund, the City of Toronto’s Better Building Partnerships loans, and WoodGreen’s capital reserves.
Toronto just approved a host of climate-related policies. We asked experts how they stack up8/2021 - TORONTO STAR - “Toronto is such a significant part of Ontario, and of Canada, that if we fall behind on climate, it puts at risk provincial and national targets toward net zero (carbon). It also risks Toronto being left behind in the 21st-century economy,” says TAF VP Bryan Purcell.
Fiddling while Toronto burns7/2021 - SPACING TORONTO - It may be time for the province and the Ontario Energy Board to completely overhaul the traditional approach to natural gas consumption by promulgating conservation policies that provide building owners and homeowners with financial incentives to get off gas entirely instead of simply moving to high efficiency gas furnaces.
All new Toronto buildings could soon face tighter greenhouse gas emissions targets7/2021 - CBC - "With a rapidly growing city, there is simply no path to net zero that doesn't require a transition to near-zero new construction," Bryan Purcell, TAF VP, told the city's Planning and Housing Committee. "The Toronto Green Standard is by far Toronto's most important climate policy."