GTA municipalities lag on climate targets despite 2019 emergency declarations

TORONTO · Municipalities across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area are not cutting greenhouse gas emissions quickly enough to meet their climate targets, seven years after many declared a climate emergency. Emissions in the region reached approximately 54.7 million tonnes in 2024, a modest increase of 1.1 per cent from the previous year, according to the latest carbon emissions inventory from the Toronto Atmospheric Fund. The agency estimates the region would need reductions of approximately 11 per cent every year to meet its collective 2030 climate targets. Buildings accounted for 45 per cent of regional emissions, largely from natural gas used for heating and electricity generation, while transportation made up another 37 per cent.

Environmental advocates say the next four-year municipal council term, which begins after the Oct. 26 election, will be critical in determining whether cities can turn their commitments into measurable results. "It’s nowhere near the level of action that’s actually needed to respond to this climate emergency," said Gabriella Kalapos, executive director of Climate Action Partnership. She said municipalities have made progress since 2019 in understanding where emissions come from, but provincial interventions have complicated efforts to implement energy-efficient development policies.

In Toronto, the city has set a target of reducing community-wide emissions by 65 per cent below 1990 levels by 2030, and to reach net-zero emissions by 2040. The city acknowledges it is not on track to meet that goal. Its most recent inventory found community-wide emissions were just 35 per cent below 1990 levels in 2023. James Nowlan, executive director of the city’s environment, climate and forestry division, wrote in an email that buildings and transportation remain among the most challenging sources of emissions to address because many necessary changes extend beyond the city’s direct control.

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The provincial government has restricted municipalities from mandating green building features that go beyond provincial requirements, putting Toronto's Green Standard framework in the crosshairs. The standard had required developers to incorporate features like bicycle parking, electric-vehicle charging stations and green roofs. The province has argued standardized requirements can help speed up construction during a housing crisis. "If you don’t have a supportive framework for climate action at the provincial and federal level, municipalities are really hamstrung to be able to move forward on their targets," Kalapos said. "We are not going to meet this climate change imperative off the property tax base."

Toronto is still developing emissions standards that would see building owners gradually reduce emissions through upgrades and retrofits, but provincial legislation will prevent the city from making the changes mandatory. "It’s all voluntary. There is no deadline for anything," said Lyn Adamson, co-chair of the environmental advocacy group ClimateFast. Adamson argued that relying on voluntary measures makes it difficult to achieve the scale of change needed. For Adamson, Toronto’s climate commitments are also about making everyday life easier for residents through safer cycling, reliable public transit and lower utility bills from energy-efficient homes.

The city budgeted more than $2 billion in 2026 for emissions-reduction initiatives, including support for a bike share program. However, the province is currently overseeing a $48-million project to remove bike lanes from major streets in Toronto during the election campaign. Mississauga’s next council is expected to consider an updated emissions reduction plan in early 2027, while Brampton faces questions about how much progress it is actually making on its climate commitments. The region's emissions represent 46 per cent of Ontario’s total.

With files from The Narwhal