Ottawa

Ottawa is updating the Transportation Master Plan, which will include an Active Transportation Plan, that will combine what was formerly known as the Ottawa Cycling Plan, 2013 and Ottawa Pedestrian Plan, 2013. From 2021 to 2022, the City of Ottawa opened 20 new active transportation facilities, including multi-use paths, cycle tracks and protected intersections, totalling 14.425 km of new infrastructure. These facilities were constructed with full or partial funding from Transportation Planning Service Area budgets.

Ottawa provides different Community Funding opportunities to invest in a sustainable social infrastructure of community non-profit social services that: Provides equitable access to programs and services Responds to community needs Demonstrates measurable outcomes and financial accountability Collaborates to build community capacity and development Aligns with City of Ottawa strategic priorities Sustainability Funding is now closed, but there will be a next round of Sustainability Funding in 2026 for the 2027-2031 funding term.

A draft Climate Resiliency Strategy – Climate Ready Ottawa is available. The final is expected in 2025.

Energy Evolution sets the framework for what it will take for Ottawa to achieve these GHG emission reduction targets. It is a community energy transition strategy designed to manage energy consumption, promote the use of renewable energy and advance local economic development opportunities in Ottawa.

The City is committed to continue to identify opportunities to support the transition to electric vehicles in Ottawa through the upcoming Electric Vehicle Strategy. Additional charging stations have been installed at community recreation centres.

Climate Change Master Plan sets a goal for the City to reduce community GHG emissions to 43 % by 2025; 68 % by 2030; 96 % by 2040; 100 % by 2050 (below 2012 levels).

The Better Homes Ottawa Loan Program is a residential PACE program.

The City of Ottawa has developed a Complete Streets Implementation Framework (internal document).

A draft Climate Resiliency Strategy – Climate Ready Ottawa is available. The final is expected in 2025.

Zoning Bylaw update includes draft provision of 100% EV-Ready infrastructure for residential properties, and 30% EV-Ready requirements for commercial properties. Zoning Bylaw Update page, and section 611 represents Electric Vehicle Parking Space Requirements.

High Performance Development Standards’ metrics have been approved by council in 2022 for Site Plan and Plan of Subdivision applications. Staff currently have direction to report back to council on implementation.

Sustainable roofing is included as a metric in the City’s approved High Performance Development Standard. Providing a green roof is one of three options to achieve compliance.

Fleet Services has developed a Green Fleet Strategy that is targeted to be brought forward to Committee in 2025. The Green Fleet Strategy recommends an agile implementation framework and provides guidance for the City to transition its fleet to low and zero-emission vehicles, supporting the Climate Change Master Plan’s target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 100 per cent below 2012 levels by 2040. The strategy also delivers on Council’s strategic priority of a City that is green and resilient, and strategic objective 16 to reduce emissions associated with the City’s operations and facilities. Currently, the City’s municipal fleet contains 251 green units: 69 fully electric and 182 hybrid.

Energy Evolution: Ottawa's Community Energy Transition Strategy targets 27% of existing municipal buildings to be net zero by 2030 and all new buildings to be net zero energy by 2030. Currently, there is one retrofit project and two new facility buildings to be net zero.

Climate Change Master Plan is a framework for how Ottawa will mitigate and adapt to climate change over the next three decades. The vision of the Climate Change Master Plan is to take unprecedented, collective action that transitions Ottawa to a clean, renewable and resilient city by 2050. It sets guiding principles, goals, greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets and priority actions for the next five years (2020–2025).

The City has no formal plan but implements the Ottawa Smart Farm initiative.

Putting Down Roots for the Future is a 20-year strategic Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP) for the City of Ottawa. This plan was approved by Ottawa City Council in June 2017 and has 26 recommendations for growing Ottawa’s urban forest and making it healthier, more diverse and resilient. The UFMP and its recommendations have been developed based on input from City staff, other stakeholders and members of the public, assessments of the current status of the urban forest management and planning framework in Ottawa, and accepted best practices. The UFMP is intended to provide the strategic and technical guidance required to achieve urban forest sustainability in Ottawa over the coming decades.