policy

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.

Fugitive methane emissions in Ontario are double the reported rate

5/2022 - There is growing consensus that ‘fugitive methane’ (gas leakage that occurs during the extraction and transmission of fossil fuels) is drastically underestimated -- but by how much? A new TAF report provides updated guidelines to account for the full life cycle emissions of natural gas, badly needed as we face crucial infrastructure decisions in Ontario.

For 2 years, climate resources shifted in COVID-19. Now, cities like Hamilton look to get on track

4/2022 - CBC HAMILTON - In Hamilton, groups like EH and Hamilton 350 say that over the past two years, the city has fallen behind on its plans to combat climate change — and it's time to get on track

Ontario Election 2022: Key climate action priorities

4/2022 - Ontario election is just 6 weeks away - ample time to influence the parties’ climate action platforms. Get tools and inspiration on what to ask the candidates.

Aerial drone view of a wind turbine in the foreground of a coal fired power generating station.

Clean Electricity Standard to set the stage for Canada’s energy transition

4/2022 - The federal government is now consulting on its Clean Electricity Standard to help Canada reach a net-zero electricity grid by 2035. With Ontario’s electricity emissions forecast to triple in the next decade, this is an important opportunity to provide feedback.

Climate and affordability depend on these essential building code updates

3/2022 - Ontario’s building code is only updated every five to seven years, so we can’t afford to miss this opportunity to reduce carbon emissions by building better buildings that are cleaner and more affordable to operate. Read our recommendations to align it with an affordable, net zero future.

Three key climate measures for Toronto’s 2022 budget

2/2022 - Council will vote on the City Budget this Thursday: what do we want to see most? To continue its role as a climate leader, Toronto needs to shift to implementation in top three climate priority areas: Climate Lens Policy, electrification of public bus fleets, and green development standards.

Toronto just passed a host of new climate policies to support a net zero future

12/2021 - The Atmospheric Fund commends the City of Toronto on the new net zero by 2040 target and climate plan adopted by council this week, which includes a suite of actions and policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the building and transportation sectors

Toronto sets ambitious net zero target by 2040

11/2021 - TAF outlines some key components of the TransformTO Net Zero Strategy and provides our take on how it needs to be strengthened to achieve net zero by 2040.

Toronto needs to speed up its electric vehicle infrastructure to meet targets, critics say

8/2021 - 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.

Budget 2021 is a healthy dose for the clean economy, but climate measures lack potency

4/2021 - Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland just announced $101.4 billion in new spending. With the trend toward increasing emissions in the Great Toronto and Hamilton Area and other cities across Canada, there are welcome investments in Budget 2021 to support urban climate action, but a critical missing link is missing.

ZEV industry urges there’s no time to idle on the Clean Fuel Standard

4/2021 - The Clean Fuel Standard is now under review by the federal government and advocates are concerned about potential delays or further changes to the policy following other concessions.