Carbon reduction

A view of Toronto. Trees are mixed in with high rise residential buildings and low rise apartments

We thrive in better buildings – how a new bylaw could transform retrofits in the GTHA

1/2025 - The City of Toronto is introducing Building Emissions Performance Standards (BEPS) to tackle building-related carbon emissions.

People are gathered in small groups in a green space in front of a multi-level residential building

Lowering emissions, not equity – perspectives on Toronto’s building policy

1/2025 - Toronto's emerging BEPS policy needs to be well-designed and informed by representative stakeholders and rightsholders regarding equity impacts.

Balconies sit in rows and columns on the exterior of a Toronto apartment building

What building types will be included in Toronto’s building emissions performance standards?

12/2024 - One of the most important questions in designing a BEPS is which types and sizes of buildings should be included.

Two tall buildings in the background with a flat iron building in the middle. On the left is a midrise building, and on the right is a green and white GO bus.

Commercial real estate has everything to gain from building emissions performance standards

12/2024 - The commercial real estate sector should be excited about Toronto moving forward with its Building Emissions Performance Standards (BEPS) policy.

Distributed energy resources reward households, businesses, and the grid

8/2023 - With distributed energy resources (DERs) moving swiftly from the margins to the mainstream in North America, Ontario can seize opportunities in a popular and reliable innovation in power system management.

Putting high-rises on a low-carbon diet

5/2023 - GLOBE AND MAIL: Policy paper published last year by U of T, City of Toronto, The Atmospheric Fund and Mantle Developments calls for the regulation of embodied carbon as well as the development of standardized ways of measuring these emissions.

Doug Ford’s new housing bill guts green building law he voted for as Toronto councillor, say critics

11/2022 - TORONTO STAR - "The Building More Homes Faster Act includes clauses that will inadvertently make future homes more unaffordable and less efficient for Ontarians," says Bryan Purcell.

Dear election candidates: Climate action means working across issues and regional lines

10/2022 - To handle the complex and intersectional issues that face our region, hopeful new leaders will need to follow the carbon and collaborate.

Ambitious ZEV Strategy doomed without buy-in from provincial government

8/2022 - THE POINTER - "As the densest region after Toronto, Peel has an opportunity to reduce transportation emissions by building transit and electrifying transportation," reads TAF's Carbon Emissions Inventory.

Breaking ground on a climate-friendly way to heat and cool homes in Toronto

7/2022 - TVO -“It’s really critical that we get all new developments to net-zero or near-zero as soon as possible. Low-carbon district energy is one way to address that challenge,” says Bryan Purcell.

Clean fuel regulations won’t reduce emissions as needed – what’s next?

7/2022 - After six years of work, it would be easy for climate advocates to feel frustrated about the missed opportunity of the Clean Fuel Regulations. But the regulations were just one opportunity to decarbonize. Get involved by urging government to follow through on two other upcoming federal policies to decarbonize transportation.

How this small Ontario city is leading on public EV charging

6/2022 - Perhaps surprisingly, Burlington, Ontario has more charging stations per capita than any other city in the GTHA, with over 30 public stations per 50,000 people. I interviewed Lynn Robichaud, Manager of Environmental Sustainability at the City of Burlington, about what it takes to lead on EV charging installation and management.