TAF January E-News: A policy win, money for algae and more

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JANUARY 2020

LOW-CARBON SOLUTIONS: POLICY

Secured a good step from the City of Toronto on EVs

As mentioned in the Toronto Star last week, we are pleased the City of Toronto's Environment and Infrastructure Committee voted in favour of adopting an EV strategy that aims to accelerate the transition to zero-emissions vehicles. We've have been pushing for and assisting in the development of this strategy for two years. We expect it to be approved by council later this month.

While this is welcome news, strategies don't reduce emissions – actions do. We’ll continue working with the City to ensure the strategy is implemented with a sense of urgency befitting the climate emergency.

Read more: our submission to the City on its EV strategy

Progress on electrification of heating

We're making good progress on securing wide agreement for how the Government of Canada’s proposed Clean Fuel Standard (CFS) regulations could support the electrification of heating. In December we convened a meeting with two dozen clean energy leaders to work through some policy design considerations. We hope to soon send the Government a widely supported proposal for how electrification of heating could generate compliance credits under the CFS, helping to establish a sustainable business case for fuel-switching projects.

LOW-CARBON SOLUTIONS: IMPACT INVESTING

Investments in real estate and algae

Our two recent large investments are helping to accelerate urban climate solutions:

$1 million in a private equity fund for real estate projects that target net-zero emissions. The investment will facilitate carbon emission reductions and help spur on market transformation and building code improvements.
$1 million in algae-based tech intended to clean up municipal and industrial wastewater in the GTHA, and reduce carbon emissions while doing so.

LOW-CARBON SOLUTIONS: QUANTIFICATION

New inventory to increase understanding and action

With our new carbon emissions inventory released last month, policy- and decision-makers around the GTHA can better understand the extent of carbon emissions here, the need for bold action, and the many possible ways to get on a path to carbon neutrality.

We will be collaborating with many over the course of this year to improve the inventory’s methodology and to support municipalities on plans and activities to reduce carbon.

One way we support municipalities’ climate solutions is with grants. Our next grant application deadline is February 12.