Burlington

The City of Burlington’s first Integrated Mobility Plan (IMP) provides a guide for how people and goods move in and through the community for the next 30 years was approved by Burlington City Council in 2023. Previously endorsed cycling and rural active transportation networks have been incorporated into the IMP.

The Neighbourhood Community Matching Fund (up to $10,000 per project) is not an exclusive environment/climate change fund but ‘green/sustainable’ projects are considered. Recent approved projects include: a healing forest to build healing and community relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples and to create meaningful relationships between nature and the citizens of Burlington; a meadow-type pollinator garden that’s publicly accessible; and three community gardens, two of which donated food to local food banks and one which included pollinator gardens.

Climate Resilient Burlington: A Plan for Adapting to Our Warmer, Wetter and Wilder Weather, which was approved by City Council in 2022 is a corporate and a community plan. Annual updates on the 32 actions are provided to City Council.

The City of Burlington has developed a community-based Climate Action Plan. The plan includes seven key program areas to help the community transition away from the use of fossil fuels, particularly for buildings and transportation. Annual progress reports are presented to City Council. An updated plan will be presented to City Council in 2025.

Burlington's Electric Mobility Strategy which provides a pathway for the community of Burlington to transition to electric mobility, is a key program area identified in the Climate Action Plan needed to achieve the target of becoming a net carbon neutral community by 2050. The City has hosted events with Plug‘n Drive to encourage residents to make the switch from fossil fuel to electric vehicles.

The Climate Action Plan sets a community target of 100% GHG emissions reduction by 2050.

In September 2023, the City launched the Better Homes Burlington pilot program offering zero percent interest loans up to $10,000 for up to 20 homeowners to install a heat pump or improve air sealing and to help homeowners with information about the types of upgrades, incentives and rebates available to undertake residential energy retrofits.

The recently approved Integrated Mobility Plan is rooted in a complete streets approach to future street design. The City’s strategic plan (Vision to Focus) has identified the creation of Complete Streets Design Standards as a high-priority action item. Staff are planning to commence work on this initiative in 2025.

Climate Resilient Burlington: A Plan for Adapting to Our Warmer, Wetter and Wilder Weather, which was approved by City Council in 2022 is a corporate and a community plan. Annual updates on the 32 actions are provided to City Council.

The City's Sustainable Building and Development Guidelines, 2021, has voluntary guidelines for EV Ready requirements however there is no mandatory requirements for uptake.

The City's Sustainable Building and Development Guidelines, 2021 are voluntary guidelines with no requirements for uptake.

In December 2021, City Council approved a recommendation to draft a business case for the preparation of a green roof bylaw and green roof construction standard in 2023. Staff continue to consider how to move this work forward, in view of several provincial policy and legislative changes aimed at increasing housing supply.

The City’s first Green Fleet Strategy was approved by City Council in 2008. An updated Green Fleet Strategy was approved in 2023. It lays out a three-phase approach to reducing carbon emissions from the City’s corporate fleet and equipment by gradually converting from fossil fuels to hybrid or electric, subject to performance and market availability.

Vision 2040: Burlington’s Strategic Plan 2015-2040 sets a goal for net carbon neutrality by 2040 (for City operations). The Corporate Energy and Emissions Management Plan: 2024-2029 sets out a road map to achieve this target. In 2024, City Council approved an update to the Corporate Energy and Sustainable Buildings Policy. The updated direction is to meet the current version of the Canada Green Building Council’s Zero Carbon Building Standard for new municipal buildings, retrofits and major renovations (the previous version was LEED Silver). Four deep energy retrofit studies were completed in 2023 (an arena, a community centre and two fire stations) with detailed design work underway for the community centres. These designs and subsequent construction will reduce operational carbon from the City’s existing facility portfolio and will also include a net metered solar array on Brant Hills Community Centre. Another four deep energy retrofit studies are underway (an office building, two community centres and an animal shelter).

Staff report on progress of actions within Burlington’s Climate Action Plan annually. The most recent report is from July 2024.

The City is committed to developing a Burlington Agricultural Action Plan and is identified as an action in Action 5-1 in the Climate Resilient Burlington Plan. Additionally, Action 5-2 states ‘expand the opportunities to support local food production across the City of Burlington (such as community gardens, rooftop gardens, backyard gardening, etc.)

The Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP) and Woodland Management Strategy were approved by City Council in 2024. The UFMP story map provides more information on city canopy cover, canopy by height and tree type, municipal tree inventory and urban forest equity