Climate Action Council

New Design Resources for Embodied Carbon Targets

Toronto Metropolitan University and RDH Building Science, with funding from The Atmospheric Fund, have completed a project to create guidelines for measuring the carbon footprint of building enclosures. They’ve launched a public database that lists the material quantities of enclosure assemblies, useful for calculating embodied carbon early in the design process—without needing detailed drawings.

This resource aids in making early design decisions on aspects like insulation and cladding, in relation to their carbon impact. It also supports the revision of embodied carbon performance targets in building standards by providing up-to-date material data. This, in turn, helps inform manufacturers and designers about key factors affecting the carbon impact of enclosure systems, as well as the effects of integrating new low-carbon materials into these systems.

For a copy of the slide deck, please email cap@cleanairpartnership.org

 

Climate Governance, Accountability, and Implementation Series – City of Calgary’s Adaptation and Resilience Implementation

In this fifth webinar of the series, Jillian Curley and Amanda Burke shared experiences from the implementation of Calgary’s Climate Adaptation Plan.  Amanda and Jillian talked about what has supported Calgary’s success in moving from plan to action, and outlined some examples of resilience projects and programs from each of the plan’s core themes: People, Built Infrastructure; Natural Infrastructure; and Water.  They also talked briefly about measuring progress, how their Climate Adaptation Team is structured to work cross-corporately on project delivery, and how funding is allocated for adaptation projects.

 

Additional Resources:

For a copy of the slide deck, please email cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Barriers to Implementation: What Prevents Municipalities from Building More Complete Streets and Vision Zero Infrastructure

The movement for safer and more equitable streets in Ontario has been growing in recent years, with an increasing number of residents demanding improved road safety infrastructure. To meet this demand, municipalities across Ontario have been adopting and expanding approaches in their policies, with two prominent approaches being Complete Streets and Vision Zero.

Earlier this year, The Center for Active Transportation shared a report that investigates barriers to advancing Complete Streets and Vision Zero policy implementation. In this webinar, we heard from Alex Hanes on the main takeaways from his research on this topic.

For a copy of the slide deck, please email cap@cleanairpartnership.org

 

Advancing Home Energy Labelling in Canadian Communities

There is a strong push to advance residential home energy efficiency with rebates available to improve building envelope, install heat pumps and more. Community members want to understand their home’s energy use and make informed decisions to reduce their energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

In this webinar, Clean Air Partnership’s Kevin Behan provided an overview of the findings from Clean Air Partnership’s Advancing Energy Labeling in the Residential Sector report. This report provides background information on home energy labeling, insights from a national survey on home owner preference for energy labeling, and a practical roadmap to implement residential energy labeling programs.

  • Webinar Recording

    For a copy of the slide deck, please email cap@cleanairpartnership.org

CAC Webinar: SSG’s GHG Calculator for Municipal Projects

In this webinar, Sustainability Solutions Group (SSG) presented their new GHG Calculator for Municipalities, a free tool for municipal staff across all departments who want to understand the climate impact of their decisions.

This tool was designed by SSG together with the City of Calgary, Region of Durham, and City of Ottawa so that they could quickly understand the greenhouse gas implications of policies and decisions, such as instituting a composting program or adopting a policy to reduce greenfield development.

For a copy of the slide deck, please email cap@cleanairpartnership.org 

 

 

Ask an Expert Renovation Webinar Series – Planning Your 2024 Renovations

Planning a renovation in 2024? This webinar brought Master Energy Advisor Jack Zhou of A&J Energy Consultants to walk us through what’s involved in a retrofit that considers net zero emissions, some benefits of a deep retrofit, incentives available for deep retrofit, and some common issues and challenges homeowners face when considering deep retrofit.

For a copy of the slide deck, please email cap@cleanairpartnerhsip.org

Low Carbon Energy Systems 101

Each time new fossil fuel infrastructure is brought into a new development we move further away from our climate commitments and increase the risk of stranded assets. This webinar introduce the TAF funded Low Carbon Energy Planning in New Developments project and John Rathco from Rathco Engineering to the CAC network to speak to the question: If not fossil fuels, then what non fossil fuel opportunities exist to meet the energy needs of new residential developments, what are the pros and cons of different options, which make more sense than others for different development archetypes and why? This project will result in 8 low carbon business cases, explore the issues that will need to be addressed to create a level playing field between status quo fossil fuel based energy planning and a low carbon or fossil fuel free energy system.

For a copy of the slide decks, please email cap@cleanairpartnership.org

King Township Green Development Standards Adventure

The Township of King joined the other 10 Ontario municipalities implementing a Green Development Standard (GDS). GDS is crucial for municipalities striving to achieve net-zero goals as it provides a structured framework for advancing the sustainability of new developments. By advancing energy-efficient and low carbon in development applications right from the beginning of the planning process, these standards reduce environmental impact and contribute significantly to lowering carbon emissions, essential steps in the journey towards a net-zero future. In this webinar, we heard from Aloma Dreher, senior planner in the Township of King, on their GDS efforts and plans for King Township’s update to their GDS to better enable them to achieve their climate and sustainability commitments.

For a copy of the slide deck, please email cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Municipal Energy Managers Meeting – Decarbonization & High Efficiency Electrification of Heating Systems

The electrification of heating systems plays a significant role in building decarbonization, and heat pumps are emerging as a solution. In this webinar, Lukas Glaspell from Trane Technologies – a building technology and energy solutions company – talked about the low-carbon mechanical systems available thus far. He presented real-world examples of decarbonization routes/options. We learned about leading practices and the cost-effectiveness of electrifying heating systems.

For a copy of the slide deck, please email cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Climate Governance, Accountability and Implementation Series Summary Webinar

This webinar summarized what we have learned from the Climate Governance, Accountability, and Implementation CAC Series. We shared different structures of climate governance and ways for municipalities to be answerable and transparent about the actions required to mitigate and adapt to climate change effectively. We reported back on feedback we gathered during our in-person workshop on December 8, 2023, and we collected additional insights on ways to support the more progressive implementation of municipal climate actions.

For a copy of the slide deck, please email cap@cleanairpartnership.org

 

Affordable housing energy-efficiency program

Energy efficiency in homes is essential to reducing the cost of electricity used and lowering the environmental impact of energy. In this webinar, we learned more about the Energy Affordability Program the Independent Electricity System Operator offers via Save on Energy. The program is for housing providers, such as municipality-run housing, non-profits, and co-operatives and offers free assessments and upgrades for appliances, water-saving measures, and cold-climate heat pumps. We learned more about the eligibility process and the types of support available.

For a copy of the slide deck, please email cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Climate Change and Health Equity Webinar

In this webinar, Kim Perrotta from the Canadian Health Association for Sustainability and Equity (CHASE) presented findings from their report, produced with the CPHA and OPHA, on Climate Change, Health and Health Equity.

This report seeks to foster alliances between public health professionals, municipal staff, and local community groups. It provides case studies and identifies the health and health equity benefits that can be gained by promoting five local climate solutions – public transit, walkable neighbourhoods, active transportation infrastructure, green buildings, and green space.

For a copy of the slide deck, please email cap@cleanairpartnership.org

 

Ask an Expert Renovation Webinar Series: Heat Pumps 101

Toronto City Council has adopted a bold strategy to reduce community-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Toronto to net zero by 2040, one of the most ambitious targets in North America. To reach net zero emissions by 2040, more than 400,000 homes in Toronto must be renovated, and the City is committed to providing support to help homeowners get to net zero! This Ask an Expert webinar series aims to provide Toronto homeowners access to experts in the renovation industry, including HVAC (heat pump) experts, energy advisors, and contractors.

For a copy of the slide deck, please email cap@cleanairpartnership.org

District Energy Webinar Series: Ottawa’s ESAP Project

This webinar is part of a series of webinars on District Energy Systems. In this webinar, we learned more about the Energy Services Acquisition Program (ESAP) in Ottawa, which modernizes the energy system of 80 buildings to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and save money. The system connects to four energy centres using more than 14 kilometres of underground piping and will use a district energy system (DES). We learned more about the regulations, technology used, barriers &benefits and lessons learned thus far.

For a copy of the slide deck, please email cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Climate Integration into Urban Forestry and Stormwater Plans

In this meeting, a team of University of Toronto students who have worked with CAP in the last few months summarized their research on the main practices of climate integration in Urban Forestry and Stormwater Plans. In the second half of the meeting, we heard from Jade Schofield from Ontario Urban Forest Council, OUFC on their latest research on synergies between Urban Forestry Management and Climate Action Plans.

Additional Resources:

 

For a copy of the slide decks, please email cap@cleanairpartnership.org

District Energy Webinar Series: District Energy Ownership Models

This webinar is a part of the CAC series on district energy (DE) systems. Reshape Strategies and representatives from the City of Edmonton and Richmond shared approaches to developing and implementing a municipal DE strategy. The webinar covered approaches to identifying DE priority zones, DE ownership and governance models, interactions between green building standards and DE strategies, and case studies from Edmonton, AB and Richmond, BC.

For a copy of the slide deck, please email cap@cleanairpartnership.org

 

Bringing in Low Carbon Energy Solutions Right from the Get Go

New development presents an ideal opportunity to get a lower carbon energy system in place right from the beginning, and that is the most cost-effective time to incorporate lower carbon energy considerations. One of the primary barriers faced by lower carbon opportunities is that they can add to upfront capital costs, even if they do cost less over the lifetime of the asset. Utility business models are being used to increase uptake to lower carbon opportunities and are a critical way to address the upfront capital cost barrier.

In this webinar, Tim Weber from the Ontario Geothermal Association and Diverso Energy shared information on the importance and structure of the utility business model, took participants through a sample project costing example, and spoke to the importance of municipal Green Standards to drive carbon considerations in new developments.

For a copy of the slide deck, please email cap@cleanairpartnership.org

How to Choose a Contractor

This webinar is part of Ask an Expert Renovation Webinar Series

Toronto City Council has adopted a bold strategy to reduce community-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Toronto to net zero by 2040, one of the most ambitious targets in North America. To reach net zero emissions by 2040, more than 400,000 homes in Toronto must be renovated, and the City is committed to providing support to help homeowners get to net zero! This Ask an Expert webinar series aims to provide Toronto homeowners access to experts in the renovation industry, including HVAC (heat pump) experts, energy advisors, and contractors.

In this webinar, we discussed and answered the following questions: How do I know which contractors to work with and who I can trust to guide me through the entire journey? How many quotes or estimates should I get? What questions should I ask the contractors?

For a copy of the slide decks, please email cap@cleanairpartnership.org

 

 

CAC Adaptation Webinar Series: Overview of Provincial Reports on Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation

This webinar series continues the Climate Governance, Accountability, and Implementation Series with a focus on adaptation efforts. We will explore some available resources, showcase implemented adaptation projects, and learn from the experience of municipal staff working on adaptation initiatives.

In this first meeting, we confirmed research questions to support the series’ agenda. Al Douglas, from the Climate Risk Institute, provided an overview of the Five Provincial Reports on Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation. The reports aim to support municipalities conducting replicable and scalable risk assessments and provide adaptation best practices.

For a copy of the slide deck, please email cap@cleanairpartnership.org

 

Energy Managers Community of Practice In Person Meeting

In this meeting, we heard from Bryan Ho-Yan, City of Guelph, on wastewater aeration upgrades, piloting electric buses and charging, Zero Carbon Building Community Centre and Baker Library projects, ISO 50001 Corporate, and BAS master specification development. In the second part, we heard from Duncan MacLellan and Howlan Mullally, City of Toronto, on the new emissions performance reporting by-law and an overview of the net zero carbon plan.

Other Resources:

For a copy of the slide decks, please email cap@cleanairpartnership.org

CAC Adaptation Series: Halifax’s Steps to Adaptation and Resilience

This webinar series, a continuation of the Climate Governance, Accountability, and Implementation Series, offers a unique opportunity to delve into adaptation efforts. By attending, you will gain insights from showcased adaptation projects, explore available resources, and learn from the experience of municipal staff working on adaptation initiatives.

In this webinar, Shannon Fernandes from Halifax discussed the climate layers project, a GIS model for understanding and visualizing climate risks for critical assets and vulnerable communities. She elaborated on their building back better approach to end-of-life infrastructure assets and present the new resilience homes retrofit initiative.

For a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

CAC Adaptation Series: ORCCA Resources Hub and Support Service

This webinar series, a continuation of the Climate Governance, Accountability, and Implementation Series, offers a unique opportunity to delve into adaptation efforts. By attending, you will gain insights from showcased adaptation projects, explore available resources, and learn from the experience of municipal staff working on adaptation initiatives.

In this webinar, Naomi Wolfe from the Ontario Resource Centre for Climate Adaptation (ORCCA) walked us through the Resource Centre pilot, discussed service offerings including the Support Desk and Adaptation Resource Library, and elaborated on existing programs, such as the Staff Capacity Program, Outreach and Engagement Program, and the upcoming Climate Communication Toolkit.

For a copy of the slide deck, please email cap@cleanairpartnership.org 

 

Municipal Opportunities to Address Fossil Fuel Subsidies

 

Next Steps

  • Identify who in your municipality is in charge of the Model Franchise Agreement, learn more about the history, and build your understanding of the process of updating the Franchise Agreement for your municipality.
  • Engage with the Property Tax department to find out if property taxes are being collected on fossil fuel pipelines and infrastructure in your municipality. Explore the potential of collecting property taxes from fossil fuel pipelines if not already being collected with your Tax department. What does your tax department think about that? It would be good to learn how this does (or can) work in a two tiered system (how does this work when it is mostly the lower tier that collects taxes and then provides the Region their portion of the tax they are owed.
  • Engage with your Property Tax department to explore the possibility of adding a climate levy if the municipality is collecting property taxes on fossil fuel pipelines and infrastructure. It appears that a climate levy cannot be applied to specific tax classes and needs to be applied across the tax base, but still would be good to ask your property tax contact about the flexibility on how a municipality could possibly apply a climate levy.
  • Engage with your Public Works department to explore the costs associated with pipelines regarding road rehabilitation issues and the risk of stranded assets infrastructure abandonment. They may not know or calculate this, but if you can ask them if there would be any way to calculate those costs in their opinion, that would still be helpful.
  • Licensing: Identify who in your municipality you can engage with to ask questions related to licensing certain classes (ex. gas station, car dealerships, ride hailing etc). There is the possibility to attach a license fee to entities to recoup costs from climate damage (this may be a source or revenue to offset adaptation costs more than mitigation efforts, but we would like to learn more re the rules for licensing).

Resources Shared

 

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Sustainable Fleet Working Group Meeting #2 – Electrical Upgrades

In this meeting, Adam Vaiya, from Peel Region, shared an RFQ for a consultant to identify the facility’s new electrical demand profile to incorporate the current and future electrification of the fleet and what surplus electrical upgrades are needed.

In the second part, we provided updates and reviewed Markham’s survey on EV Charging. This survey focuses on how municipalities plan and execute their electric vehicle charging infrastructure to support their low-carbon transition from internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs).

 

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Adaptation Webinar Series: Adaptation and Response to Extreme Heat – Hamilton Perspective

In this webinar, Trevor Imhoff, Senior Project Manager – Air Quality and Climate Change at Hamilton and Shelley Rogers from Public Health Services, Hamilton, presented actions the City is taking in preparedness for extreme heat events. They provided an overview of the updated Heat Respond Strategy, the development and distribution of ‘cool kits’ with the community Extreme Heat working group, and a building/landlord education campaign. The second part discussed municipal challenges and opportunities for centring equity in addressing extreme heat.

  • Webinar Recording 
  • Trevor Imhoff and Shelley Rogers, Hamilton’s Climate Action Strategy – Extreme Heat

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Carbon Credits – Municipal Considerations and Leading Practices

The goal of this meeting and discussion was to share some of the research, learnings and policies that have been compiled across the Clean Air Council network thus far on carbon credit policies, the questions that are going through your brains, conversations that have occurred thus far within your municipalities to better understand the interests re carbon market participation within your municipality and the implications that need to be considered in developing a municipal carbon credit policy. The goal is to bring this collective research together to reduce the need to duplicate research efforts across the network.

 

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

CAC Energy Managers COP Meeting: IESO’s CDM and Enbridge’s DSM Programs for Municipalities

In this meeting, IESO and Enbridge highlighted programs applicable to municipal energy efficiency and electrification efforts (for corporate buildings). They discussed potential suggestions for the upcoming Conservation and Demand Management (CDM) and Demand Side Management (DSM) Framework consultations.

  • Webinar Recording 
  • Summary Notes
  • Vicki Gagnon, IESO Programs,  recording of presentation starts at 3.50 
  • Shivansh Singh, IESO Energy Performance Program, recording of presentation starts at 15.20
  • Andres Serrano, Enbridge Commercial Programs, recording of presentation starts at 29.21
  • Mark Wilson, Enbridge Municipal Energy Solution Offerings, recording of presentation starts at 41.00

For a copy of the slide decks, please email cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Low Carbon Energy Planning 101 – June 4th

During this webinar, John Rathbone from Rathco Engineering highlighted how developers are advancing their low carbon energy planning efforts, the technological opportunities, and what makes more sense under what conditions and why. John digs into the electrification of heating at the building level as well as the neighbourhood scale, why the exploration of waste heat options is worth exploring, and how developers are advancing their low carbon energy planning and exploring the costs, and pros and cons of different options.

Gaby Kalapos from Clean Air Partnership (CAP) introduced the TAF-funded Low Carbon Energy Project, the resources that will result from that project, and how it will help support low carbon energy planning efforts.

  • Gaby Kalapos, CAP: Low Carbon Energy Planning Project Recording
  • John Rathbone, Rathco ENG: Low Carbon Energy Planning 101 Recording

 

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

 

Low Carbon Energy Planning 101 – June 12th

During this webinar, John Rathbone from Rathco Engineering highlighted how developers are advancing their low carbon energy planning efforts, the technological opportunities, and what makes more sense under what conditions and why. John digs into the electrification of heating at the building level as well as the neighbourhood scale, why the exploration of waste heat options is worth exploring, and how developers are advancing their low carbon energy planning and exploring the costs, pros and cons of different options.

Gaby Kalapos from Clean Air Partnership (CAP) introduces the TAF-funded Low Carbon Energy Planning Project, the resources that will result from that project, and how it will help support low carbon energy planning efforts.

  • Gaby Kalapos, CAP: Low Carbon Energy Planning Project Recording
  • John Rathbone, Rathco ENG: Low Carbon Energy Planning 101 Recording

For a copy of the slide deck, please email cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Introduction to SolarTO

This webinar is part of the Ask an Expert Renovation Webinar Series!

Toronto City Council has adopted a bold strategy to reduce community-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Toronto to net zero by 2040, one of the most ambitious targets in North America. To reach net zero emissions by 2040, more than 400,000 homes in Toronto must be renovated, and the City is committed to providing support to help homeowners get to net zero! This Ask an Expert webinar series aims to provide Toronto homeowners access to experts in the renovation industry, including HVAC (heat pump) experts, energy advisors, and contractors.

In this webinar, we discussed and answered the following questions: Are you curious about your home’s solar PV potential? Are you wondering if the trees will block the sun or if your roof is angled correctly for optimum solar energy generation? Simply search your home address in the SolarTO map to get a good idea of your solar potential! The City of Toronto’s SolarTO team is more than happy to help you with your Solar PV questions.

For a copy of the slide deck, please email cap@cleanairpartnership.org

 

CTAP – Community Technology Assessment Platform

Developed by Natural Resources Canada, CTAP is an easy-to-use tool that helps compile residential building stock energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) use. CTAP enables an analysis of housing archetypes within a community and their associated energy and carbon reduction potential, thereby enabling an analysis of the potential for a community retrofit program.

In this webinar, Charles Mougeot, Project Leader at CE-O—CanmetENERGY-Ottawa, Natural Resources Canada introduced the Community Technology Assessment Platform (CTAP).

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please email cap@cleanairpartnership.org 

Access to IESO Time of Use Electricity Data for Ontario Municipalities

During this webinar, CAP’s Clean Air Council members and QUEST’s Ontario Community Energy and Climate (ON-CEC) Working Group, heard from the IESO on opportunities to access electricity consumption data. As a result of an Ontario Energy Board decision, the IESO collected consumption data from more than five million residential and small general service (<50kW) smart meters installed across the province. The data from these meters is available to Canadian governmental entities, including local municipalities. The IESO’s Smart Metering team shared information on the types of data collected and their possible use for analysis to inform the development and implementation of local and regional community energy/climate change action plans and programs.

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

City of Mississauga’s Journey of Using an Open-Protocol BAS and Energy Monitoring & Fault Detection Software

In this webinar, staff from the City of Mississauga covered the key aspects of their journey of using an Open-Protocol BAS and Energy Monitoring & Fault Detection Software. They covered the why, what, how, and lessons learned from using BAS, Energy Monitoring and Fault Detection Strategy.

 

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Utility and Municipal Engagements on Distribution System for Decarbonization

This webinar had presentations from Toronto Hydro and City of Toronto and Burlington Hydro and City of Burlington for how the municipality and utility are working to better understand the readiness and needs of the electricity distribution system to support decarbonization actions and targets. Presenters spoke to the work they are undertaking to better understand what is needed at the distribution level to enable the needed scale of electrification to achieve community greenhouse gas reduction targets.

Additional Resources

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Road Diets in Complete Streets and Vision Zero

With more and more cities considering how to allocate street space and the need to prioritize those who walk, bike, and roll, two prominent road safety approaches, Complete Streets, and Vision Zero, have spread across Ontario. Both of these strategies employ Road Dieting (i.e. the removal of car space from the road in favour of sustainable modes of transportation), making road diets an increasingly important yet politically contentious tool in the transportation toolbox. This raises the question: how critical are Road Dieting to Complete Streets and Vision Zero road planning approaches? In this webinar, Alex Hanes, the author of Road Diets in Complete Streets and Vision Zero: A Comparative Analysis Report, discussed the research and findings from municipalities across Ontario.

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Home Energy and Emissions Ratings and Labels

Prince Edward Island (PEI) and the City of Ottawa shared their efforts to advance residential home energy/emissions ratings as well as the important role labelling plays in building the needed ecosystem to drive scale up of retrofits. Glen Compton from the province of PEI and Aaron Thornell from City of Ottawa were joined by Climative to highlight their labelling efforts and how it fits into overall retrofit programs and efforts. 

Additional Resources

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

CAC Fleet Meeting: Electrical Municipal Light-Duty Equipment

In this engaging session, we gathered input from fleet and parks and recreation staff on the barriers and challenges encountered in making the switch to gas powered, two-stroke engine equipment, as well as the benefits realized. We heard about the City of Ottawa’s transition thus far.

Additional Resources

 

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

 

Geothermal Drilling and Aquifer Protection Leading Practices Guide

David Brodrecht and Paul Frith from the Ontario Geothermal Association (OGA) presented up to date leading practices to support municipal understanding of the drilling process for geo-exchange low carbon energy systems and ensure protection of local aquifers and water supply systems. They  discussed how the provincial regulatory process for geothermal drillers applies to municipalities and the projects they are working on.

Additional Resources

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Energy Storage Resources: Best Practices and Key Considerations for Municipalities

Ontario has identified energy storage resources as a key component of the province’s grid modernization and path to decarbonization. As such, many municipalities are being asked to evaluate proposals for battery energy storage systems (BESS) – one of the most commonly deployed types of energy storage in the world today. To help municipalities assess these proposals and better understand the role these projects play in supporting the low carbon energy transition, Energy Storage Canada provided an overview of best practices and key considerations for the deployment of BESS installations.

Additional Resources

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Embodied Carbon Management Toolkit – Training Workshop for Ontario Municipalities

The City of Toronto has collaborated with consultants Mantle Developments and Ha/f Climate Design through a TAF-funded study to develop an embodied carbon toolkit for municipal governments and construction projects. The toolkit presents recommendations to manage embodied carbon over three key topics:

  1. Construction Circularity
  2. Urban Design
  3. Procurement of Low-Carbon Materials

This webinar provided background context and introduced the Toolkit, inviting Ontario municipalities to consider using it to reduce embodied carbon on future projects.

Additional Resources

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Energy Efficiency Retrofit of Ottawa RA Recreation Centre

In this webinar,  we heard from Mario Giamberardino, Chief Financial Officer at RA Centre. The RA Centre is a multi-sport and recreation facility in Ottawa that partnered with SOFIAC to access Canada Infrastructure Bank funds to invest in its efficiency plan. Mario shared their experiences advancing their energy efficiency work as well as issues encountered and lessons learned. 

 

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Geothermal Drilling and Aquifer Protection Leading Practices Guide

David Brodrecht and Paul Frith from the Ontario Geothermal Association (OGA) presented up to date leading practices to support municipal understanding of the drilling process for geo-exchange low carbon energy systems and ensure protection of local aquifers and water supply systems. They  discussed how the provincial regulatory process for geothermal drillers applies to municipalities and the projects they are working on.

Additional Resources

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Information Needs for Flood Risk Management and Climate Adaptation Workshop

This workshop convened representatives from local governments across Ontario to gather input on critical information needs for flood risk management and climate adaptation. The session covered current challenges, data gaps, and resources needed for understanding and mitigating flood risks and impacts. With a focus on specific applications across topics, including asset management, land use planning, zoning, and emergency response, the workshop sought to identify opportunities to support municipalities in managing flood risks during a time of accelerating climate change. This activity is part of a collaborative research project between Clean Air Partnership and the Toronto Climate Observatory. Contributions will help to shape the next stage of research into the development of tools and information services to support a safer and more resilient region.

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Promoting Equity in Urban Forestry: City of Ottawa’s Tree Equity Analysis

Urban tree canopy distribution often mirrors socio-economic inequalities, with neighbourhoods with lower canopy coverage typically home to equity-deserving communities. To support equitable access to the urban forest canopy, the City of Ottawa will conduct a tree equity analysis and use its findings to prioritize tree planting under the City’s Tree Planting Strategy. In this webinar, Martha Copestake and Zoe Bedford from the City of Ottawa discussed Ottawa’s approach to addressing tree inequity.

Additional Resources

IESO’s Residential and Commercial Energy Programs

In this webinar, Arwa Sayyadi and Vicki Gagnon from the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) provided an overview of the organization’s low-income residential program, as well as commercial programs such as the retrofit rebate program. The session also included a brief discussion on strategies municipalities can use to effectively promote these programs within their communities.

Additional Resources

Integrating Greenhouse Gas Considerations into Urban Expansion Requests

Urban sprawl often leads to the expansion of new growth into previously undeveloped areas, increasing greenhouse gas emissions due to greater transportation needs and infrastructure costs via the requirement for new infrastructure. However, municipalities, via provincial requirements, are required to consider urban expansion boundary requests. Municipalities are exploring ways to incorporate greenhouse gas and infrastructure cost considerations into urban expansion requests. In this webinar, the City of Ottawa and the City of Hamilton shared their approach to addressing urban boundary expansion requests and integrating greenhouse gas and infrastructure implications into the urban boundary expansion application process.

Additional Resources

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Data Tools for Community Energy Planners and Climate Coordinators

Kyle Bassett from Climate Neutral presented on the results of the Climate Action Working Group which brought together a group of Ontario municipalities to use the tools developed by Climate Neutral to support and empower municipalities of all sizes to provide municipal councils and decision makers with data intelligence. The tool can be used to create greenhouse gas inventories, develop climate action plans, and track progress.

 

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Mobilizing Climate Action: Lessons from the Oak Bay Coolkit

The Oak Bay Coolkit program is a joint initiative between the Collaborative for Advanced Landscape Planning at the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Forestry and the District of Oak Bay and is intended to mobilize individual and neighbourhood climate action through participation in a series of fun and interactive engagement activities, beginning with neighbourhood conversations, to local asset and climate vulnerability mapping, carbon footprint calculators, household and block sustainability ratings, visioning exercises and developing localized climate action plans. Chris Hyde-Lay, Manager of Park Services with the District of Oak Bay, provided an overview of the initiative, including lessons learned and project outcomes.

Additional Resources

Flooding: Toward a Municipal Contribution to Economic Risk Sharing

Over the past 40 years, flood damage costs in Québec have surged due to population and property growth in flood-prone areas, compounded by extreme weather events. These costs are primarily covered by provincial and federal programs, with limited private insurance involvement. Current cost-sharing mechanisms, however, create moral hazard by not incentivizing municipalities or residents to reduce risk. In this webinar, Bernard Deschamps, author of Flooding: Toward a Municipal Contribution to Economic Risk Sharing shared the reports proposed economic contribution mechanism for municipalities that distributes the cost of damage to residential buildings more equitably, and key findings from his research and consultation with municipal staff within Québec.

Additional Resources

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Getting Nature into Financial Reporting: Natural Asset Disclosures for Local Governments

Natural assets -such as wetlands, rivers, and forests- are increasingly recognized as infrastructure that provides financially valuable ecosystem services to Canadian communities. Integrating these assets into financial reporting can help local governments demonstrate effective management of these valuable services. The new Intact Centre guide Getting Nature into Financial Reporting, developed for Standards Council of Canada, with KPMG LPP, the Natural Assets Initiative and over 120 contributors, outlines metrics that can be reported as part of a stepwise approach to more complete natural asset reporting, no matter where your community is starting from. In this webinar, Joanna Eyquem, Managing Director of Climate-Resilient Infrastructure, Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, discussed the step-by-step guide to disclosures and City of Calgary presented on their efforts to integrate natural asset-related disclosures into financial reporting.

Additional Resources

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Mitigating Flood Risk: CVC’s Smart Blue Roof Project

As Canada experiences more extreme rainfall, the risk of flooding increases, highlighting the growing need for innovative stormwater management solutions.  Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) constructed a smart blue roof in 2023 with commissioning and initial operations beginning in Spring -Summer, 2024.  CVC’s smart blue roof was the first in Canada to be built in compliance with the Canadian Standards Association’s standard for Rainwater Harvesting Systems (CSA B805-18).  The smart blue roof uses modulating control valves directed by a programable logic controller (PLC) to open and close, allowing rainfall to be stored, reused or evaporated into the atmosphere. When these valves are closed, approximately 60 m3 (60,000L) can be stored on CVC’s rooftop for flood control. When opened, water drains from the roof into the building’s 5,000 L rainwater harvesting cistern to be used for non-potable uses like flushing of office toilets. The presentation provided an overview of the planning, design, construction, commissioning, initial performance, challenges encountered, and lessons learned to date.

Additional Resources

 

 

Applying An Equity and Climate Lens in Dufferin County

As municipalities recognize the need for sustainable and inclusive growth, integrating climate and equity lenses is becoming essential. In this webinar, Sara MacRae, Manager of Climate & Energy at Dufferin County, shared how the County is applying an Equity and Climate Lens to shape its operations and decision-making processes.

Additional Resources

Climate Toolkit for Housing and Infrastructure

Canada’s rapidly changing climate and associated hazards are making our infrastructure, buildings and homes more vulnerable. Communities across Canada urgently need to increase their resilience towards climate vulnerabilities and mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Often, those communities most at risk lack access to the information and expertise they need to effectively assess their climate risks and build low-carbon resilient infrastructure and housing. The Climate Toolkit for Housing and Infrastructure offers a suite of free, open access resources, tools and supports, to help understand climate change risks and vulnerabilities to public infrastructure, calculate GHG emissions, inform actions to reduce those emissions, and develop infrastructure that is more resilient to climate change. Staff from Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities Canada presented on how communities can access and benefit from these services.

Additional Resources

240 Markland Drive: Achieving Net-Zero with Geothermal Retrofit

240 Markland Drive is a 10-storey residential building in Etobicoke, Ontario, with a gross floor area of 12,557 m² and 113 units. The building underwent a transformative deep energy retrofit, completed by Carttera in 2022. In collaboration with Geosource Energy Inc., the retrofit incorporated low-carbon geothermal systems for both heating and cooling. These geothermal systems now serve both the original rental building and the new residential development on-site. As a result of the retrofit, 240 Markland Drive achieved Zero Carbon Building certification under the Canada Green Building Council’s ZCB-Performance Standard. This webinar featured insights from both Carttera and Geosource Energy Inc. on the key components of the retrofit, the integration of geothermal energy systems, and the steps taken to achieve net-zero operations.

Additional Resources

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Who Uses and Benefits from Toronto’s Parks and Multiuse Trails?

Access to green space is widely recognized as a key indicator for mental, physical, and emotional health. Much of Toronto’s green space is found through its extensive ravine system, much of which is linked by a multi-use trail system. On top of providing benefits as a space for recreation and nature, much of Toronto’s multi-use trail system provides cyclists routes removed from vehicular traffic that connect many parts of the city. Despite these benefits, there is very little publicly available information on who currently uses and benefits from Toronto’s parks and multiuse trail systems, and whether their amenities are equitably accessible to all Torontonians. To address this gap, between June and August 2024, The Centre for Active Transportation (TCAT) at Clean Air Partnership conducted intercept surveys and travel counts in three major multi-use trails across the city.
In this webinar, TCAT Project Manager and study lead Sophie Callahan shared key transferrable insights for Ontario municipalities. Sophie shared highlights from an analysis of cross-cutting trends in the data as well as a demographic analysis that identified associations between demographic variables and trail behaviour, perceptions, and barriers and opportunities to increase trail use.

 

Additional Resources

 

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

City of Hamilton Public Works Department Climate Lens

In this webinar, Andrea McDowell from City of Hamilton presented on the City’s Public Works department climate lens, sharing insights into the development and implementation of the lens, and how it helps to ensure climate change considerations are integrated into decision-making.

Additional Resources

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, or would like to access a recording of this webinar, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Town of Pelham’s Natural Asset Management Plan

The Town of Pelham has completed a Municipal Natural Asset Management Plan (MNAMP) to enhance its understanding, evaluation, and management of natural assets. This project, supported by a grant from the Greenbelt Foundation and in partnership with the Natural Asset Initiative, identified and inventoried over 4,000 natural assets. The project assessed the current condition of these assets, the services they provide, and estimated their value at approximately $600,000,000, primarily in stormwater management services.

In this webinar, Michelle Molnar, Technical Director with Natural Assets Initiative, provided an overview of natural asset management. Shannon Larocque, Manager of Planning, and Samantha Witkowski, Environmental Coordinator from the Town of Pelham, discussed the development process of the MNAMP and presented key recommendations for managing the Town’s natural assets moving forward.

Additional Resources

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Protecting Natural Heritage Through Ecological Offsetting: City of Barrie’s Ecological Offsetting Policy

Urban growth and development put municipal natural heritage features at risk. To address the removal of trees and woodland area for development purposes, the City of Barrie has implemented an Ecological Offsetting Policy that establishes a consistent approach to maintaining a minimum No Net Loss of terrestrial natural heritage.

In this webinar, David Featherstone, Terrestrial Ecologist with City of Barrie, discussed the Policy’s development and implementation, and share key transferrable insights for municipalities.

Additional Resources

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Energy Managers Community of Practice Webinar: Peel Region’s NZE New Construction Standard

As buildings contribute significantly to Peel’s corporate emissions, the Office of Climate Change and Energy Management (OCCEM) at Peel Region has developed a Corporate Net Zero Emission (NZE) Policy and Standard for new construction, ensuring all new corporate buildings do not add to the already strained current GHG inventory. The Standard is instrumental in driving deep carbon reductions in new construction, thus enabling Peel to meet its corporate emissions reduction target of 45% by 2030 as well as the longer-term ambition of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

Recognized with the CaGBC Government Leadership Award, this Standard provides a comprehensive set of guidelines and requirements designed to ensure that all new regional buildings and facilities achieve Net-Zero carbon emissions. It builds upon the basic principles of the Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC) Zero Carbon Building (ZCB) design certification and incorporates additional measures to elevate environmental and operational standards. Bassem Elosman, Advisor of Climate Change and Energy Management with Peel Region, delivered a presentation on the Standards and how they are being applied to new construction.

 

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Building a Resilient and Livable City: City of Toronto’s Thermal Comfort Guidelines

To address outdoor public realm thermal conditions, respond to climate emergencies, sustainability goals, and the needs of a growing population, The City of Toronto developed Thermal Comfort Guidelines that will be applied in the evaluation of City-initiated large area studies, major outdoor public realm capital projects, and large site developments (over 5 hectares) with buildings over 6 storeys. In this webinar, Kristina Reinders, Program Manager Urban Design, and Rong Yu, Project Manager Urban Design, presented on the Guideline’s development and implementation.

Additional Resources

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Renewables Guide for Utility Scale Wind and Solar Projects

Tim Weis from the University of Alberta presented guidance for landowners, local decision makers or community members to help them better understand utility-scale renewable energy including steps in project development, operations and decommissioning of renewable energy in Ontario and questions to ask energy developers. He provided background on the basics of wind and solar energy and what is driving its development, as well as details on the process and steps associated with the development of renewable energy projects.

The Landowner Guide For Wind and Solar Project Development in Ontario was developed based on research and conversations with project developers, landowners, and communities regarding renewable energy projects.

Additional Resources

 

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

BEPS CoP Webinar #1: The Important Role of Building Emissions Performance Standards in Net Zero

In this webinar, Natalia Enriquez Goyes and Ekaterina Tzekova from The Atmospheric Fund took participants on a Building Emissions Performance Standards (BEPS) journey. This webinar explored the role of BPS in net zero targets, why they are essential based on research on uptake from voluntary versus mandatory standards, and the progress occurring across North America. The speakers shared lessons learned from ongoing efforts that can inform local leading practices and approaches.

To inform future BEPS CoP efforts, following the presentation, participants engaged in break-out groups to explore municipal BEPS needs, concerns and required support. This webinar was the first in a series that aims to build municipal capacity and capabilities for exploring the role of BEPS in their community net-zero commitments.

Additional Resources

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Building Low-Carbon Communities: Decarbonizing Residential Energy Systems

Creative Energy is developing a low-carbon solution that decarbonizes space heating and cooling for North Oak, a residential project in Oakville. The design utilizes geoexchange and ambient loop systems, heat pumps, boilers, and utilizes energy modeling software to create an efficient and sustainable district energy system. The combination of the geo fields and ambient distribution will allow buildings to share energy with one another, and enable in-suite heat pumps within the building to operate reliably and efficiently. The system is expected to avoid almost 1,000 tonnes of GHG emissions a year.

In this webinar, Keith Bate, Director of Engineering, and David Angelo, Director of Relationships (Canada East) presented on the North Oak community energy system and additional low carbon energy projects lead by Creative Energy, highlighting the potential for emissions, energy, and long-term financial savings.

Additional Resources

 

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Indoor Heat Bylaw Series: Understanding the Heat Risk Landscape in Canadian Communities

This workshop provided an overview of the impact of frequent heat events on health and equity in our communities. We explored the roles played by local governments in addressing heat events, introduced CAP’s Heat Adaptation Project, and provided an overview of North America’s maximum temperature bylaws. Participants heard from the Canadian Environmental Law Association on municipal authority to implement a maximum temperature bylaw, the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, and City of Toronto.

 

Additional Resources

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Growing Together: A Tree Equity Q&A Session

City of Toronto and City of Ottawa have each adopted a tree equity approach to address the unequal distribution of urban canopy in their cities. Both cities are working to identify and prioritize areas of tree inequity, focusing tree planting efforts where they are needed most. In this session, staff from City of Toronto and City of Ottawa answered your questions regarding their approaches and the challenges so far.

Additional Resources

 

Carbon Coalition “Know Your Impact” Report – Advancing the Embodied Carbon Ecosystem

Lara Gumushdjian, the Director of Sustainability for KIRKOR Architects and Planners presented on the collective input from the Carbon Coalition Conference that took place in the fall of 2024. The conference brought together different levels of government, suppliers, manufacturers, industry associations, private sector professionals (architects, engineers, developers, builders), environmental organizations, and distributers to speak to where we are at present in the embodied carbon journey, where we needs to go, and the steps different stakeholders can and need to take to build up the embodied carbon ecosystem. Lara goes through a embodied carbon journey speaking to the different parts of that ecosystem and opportunities for all to support increasing the ability of embodied carbon to be brought into decision making.

 

If you would like a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

BEPS CoP Webinar # 2: City of Toronto’s Building Performance Standards Roadmap & Journey

In this webinar, Sarah Rodrigues and Devon Stopps from the City of Toronto’s Environment, Climate and Forestry Division will share the City’s journey on Building Emissions Performance Standards research and development. They will speak to the importance of BEPS to achieve climate targets, their roadmap of research and analysis undertaken, internal discussions, stakeholder outreach efforts and preliminary findings, and upcoming actions. The presentation will be followed by break out group discussions on the transferability of the research and learnings to inform municipal BEPS conversations.

Additional Resources

Natural Assets Series: Carbon Sequestration Calculation Tools and Approaches

Municipalities have expressed interest in learning how others are calculating carbon sequestration, with the aim of incorporating carbon sequestration ecosystem services into their greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories. In the first webinar of this series, Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority and Credit Valley Conservation presented on a range of tools available to calculate the carbon sequestration associated with their natural capital, while also considering how decomposition releases a portion of that stored carbon back into the atmosphere, as well rates associated with native ecosystems in southern Ontario, and examples of how this has informed municipal planning.

Additional Resources

If you are interested in a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

 

 

 

BEPS Webinar # 3: Municipal Legal Authorities for Building Emissions Performance Standards (BEPS)

During this webinar, participants will hear from the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) on their review of municipal authorities related to climate action and Building Emissions Performance Standards (BEPS). Jacqueline Wilson from CELA will be joined by representatives from The Atmospheric Fund, who will share preliminary findings from their ongoing research on BEPS program options and implementation.

Additional Resources:

Low-Carbon Affordable Housing: Efficiency Meets Equity

Waterloo Region Housing’s 420 Kingscourt Drive is a 73-unit building that provides comfortable and energy-efficient housing for lower-income residents. The building was designed with renewable energy and energy efficiency measures, including ground source heat pumps connected to an open-loop geothermal system and solar PV panels, integrated, and is expected to result in energy savings of approximately $54,000 annually, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and net annual total energy use intensity. In this webinar, Tristan Wilkin, Supervisor, Affordable Housing Development and Brad Pick, Senior Project Manager, at Waterloo Region, presented on 420 Kingscourt Drive from project initiation through to development.

Additional Resources

 

If you are interested in a copy of the slide deck, please contact cap@cleanairpartnerhsip.org

Building with Purpose: Solar Facades for Renewable Energy Generation

Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), also referred to as solar cladding or solar facade, integrate solar panels into a building’s exterior for electricity generation and enhanced building envelope functions. In this webinar, Cory Fry from Mitrex Solar presented on Mitrex’s public sector projects and discussed the potential of BIPV for renewable energy generation.

Additional Resources

If you are interested in a copy of the slide deck, please reach out to cap@cleanairpartnership.org 

Southern Ontario Flood Equity Working Group Workshop  – Taking Stock: Current Flood Data and Information Needs in Southern Ontario

Southern Ontario faces growing flood risks that require evidence-based approaches to develop equitable flood information systems that adequately consider vulnerable and at-risk populations. This workshop sought to take stock of current flood data and information capabilities across our region, identifying gaps, pressing requirements, and key challenges. We will draw on leading international frameworks to examine how these might inform practitioners in Southern Ontario, as we develop this framework for an equitable flood data information system. Together, we explored what equitable flood information systems could look like and how to collaboratively create them, recognizing that current evidence-based approaches may inadvertently overlook at-risk populations. Attendees engaged in structured breakout discussions to develop a collaborative vision for more equitable flood data and information systems that serve both long-term adaptation planning and broader community resilience goals.

 

 

Low-Carbon Hydrogen in Mississauga: Infrastructure and Market Potential

Mississauga is investigating the development of a hydrogen hub. The hub is designed to engage project partners and local businesses to build awareness and education about hydrogen. The City of Mississauga engaged Deloitte to assess the feasibility of establishing a hydrogen hub, with funding from Natural Resources Canada. The assessment aimed to: (1) understand the hydrogen opportunity in Mississauga and the surrounding region, focusing on infrastructure and market potential, (2) position Mississauga competitively to attract investment and support for hydrogen initiatives, and (3) develop actionable steps to operationalize the hydrogen hub and address key challenges. In this webinar, City of Mississauga staff shared the results of the analysis.

Additional Resources

For a copy of the slide deck, please contact us at cap@cleanairpartnership.org

Natural Assets Webinar Series: Offsets, Land Protections and Land Acquisitions

The carbon offset market represents an opportunity for municipalities and conservation authorities, either through purchasing offsets as a tool to achieve GHG reduction targets, selling offsets as a tool to diversify revenue streams, or both. At least as many challenges exist with the market though, including the cost of participation and concerns about transparency and accountability. This webinar introduced carbon offsets from organizations who have started exploring this option, through both formal market approaches and less formal intra-organizational approaches.

Additional Resources

For a copy of the slide deck, please contact cap@climateactionpartnership.ca

CAC Workshop: Integrated Energy Plan

In June 2025, Ontario released the province’s Integrated Energy Plan (IEP), which is intended to outline the actions needed to prepare for the anticipated growth of Ontario’s electricity system and bring together planning for electricity, natural gas, hydrogen, and other fuels into a single coordinated plan.

Last year, a draft version of the IEP was published for public comment. The CAC provided feedback during this process, and upon reviewing the final version of the plan, we’ve identified areas of both alignment and misalignment between the CAC’s recommendations and the actions outlined in the final IEP. This workshop provided an overview of these points of alignment and misalignment and included a discussion about next steps.

Additional Resources

E-micromobility in Ontario Series -Dedicated e-micromobility strategies: Why are some Ontario municipalities developing them, and how?

Micromobility devices, including e-bikes, e-scooters, and e-skateboards, are quickly joining their ‘analog’ alternatives as viable transportation and recreation options. With micromobility use only continuing to grow, including in places where these devices are technically banned, there is an urgent need to develop new, integrated design standards that safely and equitably incorporate micromobility into our existing urban fabric.

In this first session in the CAC E-micromobility in Ontario series, the City of Burlington and City of Richmond Hill will share insights into how they have approached e-micromobility planning. They’ll discuss the motivations behind their respective strategy approaches, the steps they took to implement them, and the implications of these strategies on promoting the safe, healthy, and equitable use of micromobility devices in their communities. Attendees will also gain valuable lessons and practical guidance that can inform their own.

Additional Resources

October CAC Roundtable

During this Roundtable, the CAC discussed integrating advocacy within climate plans, updating zoning bylaws to reflect revised OPs, and the Clean Furl Regulations.

Additional Resources

 

 

The Anatomy of Climate Misinformation and Disinformation

We live in a world where facts and fiction can feel familiar. This is especially dangerous in the fight against climate change. In this webinar, Blessing Oluloto, a University of Toronto student completing the Graduate Diploma in Social Responsibility and Sustainability Program, will explore the anatomy of climate misinformation and disinformation. We’ll look at how it spreads, why it takes hold, and what we can do to stop it. Common myths, like denying the role of CO₂ or claiming ice coverage is increasing, confuse the public and slow down action. And the cost of delay is steep. But we are not without tools. Psychological inoculation, fact-based messaging, and community engagement have all proven effective in building public resilience and trust. In this presentation, Blessing will examine the tactics behind climate falsehoods, the damage they cause, and the practical, evidence-based strategies that can help communities respond with clarity, urgency, and integrity.

Additional Resources

SFWG Roundtable

This roundtable provided an opportunity to discuss the following:
  • Key initiatives or projects you’ve been working on over the past year, along with the key learnings from those efforts
  • Any challenges or successes you’ve experienced along the way
  • Upcoming priorities or plans for the year ahead

Meeting Summary

Emicromobility in Ontario Series – Shortening that Last Mile: How Shared Micromobility Systems Connect with Regional Transit Services

A persistent challenge in shifting commuters from personal vehicles to regional transit systems is the “first and last mile” gap, when travellers struggle to conveniently access transit stations from their homes or final destinations. While park-and-ride models have often been used to attempt to address this issue, they often reinforce car dependency and present their own urban planning challenges, such as simply displacing rather than resolving congestion. Within dense urban areas, shared micromobility systems, such as (e-)bike and e-scooter sharing, have gained traction by offering flexible, low-emission alternatives that complement transit networks.

In this session, we explored the extent to which these shared systems can be effectively extended to less dense communities and those with high volumes of intercity commuters. We heard from both a practitioner and research perspective, with speakers from McGill University’s Platial Analysis Lab, providing critical context and insights from the wider evidence base, and the City of Mississauga, reflecting on real-world insights from their shared micromobility program.

Additional Resources

Low Carbon Buildings Series: EX3 Condos – North America’s Tallest Geothermal Condominium

In this webinar with Tim Weber, Co-Founder of Diverso Energy, and Joseph Feldman, President & COO of Camrost Felcorp, share insights on the EX3 Condos geothermal project – the tallest residential development in North America to feature a geothermal energy system. From both the energy utility and developer perspectives, the webinar explored how the geothermal vision for EX3 Condos began and evolved.

Climate Communications: Peel Region’s Internal Climate Change Training Program

Many Ontario municipalities have declared climate emergencies, set net-zero targets, and are implementing their Climate Action Plans. But beyond the efforts of climate and energy staff, how can organizations build climate literacy and momentum across all departments? In this webinar, Mark Pajot, Advisor in the Office of Climate Change and Energy Management (OCCEM) at Peel Region, shared how OCCEM developed and is rolling out its climate training program for staff, including key challenges and lessons learned.

Low Carbon Building Series: Carville Community Centre

In this webinar, Jon Loewen from Perkins & Will, Tom Jones and Lamya Baraam from City of Vaughan provided details on the development, design, and performance of the Carville Community Centre and Library, which is the City of Vaughan’s first net-zero carbon building. The session included detailed insights into energy efficiency, emissions reductions, operational challenges, and lessons learned.

Climate Budget Series: City of Vancouver

The Climate Budget series showcases municipal approaches to climate budgeting, answering key questions related to staff engagement during development, generating buy-in, and overall budget effectiveness.

In this first session, the City of Vancouver shared their approach, including key steps throughout development and implementation.

 

Low Carbon Building Series: University of Toronto Project Leap

In this webinar, Scott Hendershot , Senior Manager, Sustainability, University of Toronto shared insights on campus-wide sustainability initiatives – including expanding the campus’s ability to capture and store heat through a new geoexchange system beneath Front Campus, phasing out natural gas in favour of electrification for heating, upgrading to energy-efficient LED lighting in 38 buildings, and optimizing energy used for air distribution systems in key research laboratories. Together, these efforts will reduce nearly 50,000 metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year, equivalent to the energy use of more than 10,000 homes. We explored the drivers that made this project feasible and how similar approaches could be applied in other communities.

A Charged Conversation: An E-Micromobility Device Expert AMA

Transportation and planning staff at cities are increasingly being tasked with micromobility governance. For many municipal staff, knowing what matters in policies, regulations, and programming involving electric micromobility might seem daunting given the pace of the evolution of e-devices. This Ask Me Anything (AMA) session, provided a judgement-free space to answer questions — from device specifications, to batteries, to charging, to safety.

 

CAC Roundtable: February 2026

Discussion involved CAC roundtable updates, focused on 2026 projects and priorities.

 

Climate Budget Series: City of Edmonton

The Climate Budget webinar series features municipalities that are advancing or have adopted climate budgets, focusing on how these budgets are tracked, managed, and drive decision-making.  

In this session, the City of Edmonton share their approach to a municipal climate budget, including critical steps from the planning and development phase.

Additional Resources

Integrating Natural Assets Into Municipal Asset Management

Incorporating a Natural Asset Inventory into municipal asset management helps municipalities recognize and protect the essential services that natural systems provide, while reducing long-term costs and strengthening overall service reliability.

In this webinar, Patrick Wong, Senior Natural Heritage Planner at City of Markham shared the findings and recommendations of Markham’s Natural Assets Inventory and Evaluation Study. The session will highlight key components of the natural asset inventory—including asset valuation, condition, and levels of service—and provide an overview of how these assets contribute to municipal climate resilience and municipal service delivery.

Additional Resources

Energy Managers CoP – Integrating Asset and Energy Management: Lessons from City of Kingston

AMONTario and Climate Action Partnership are collaborating to bring together municipal asset and energy managers across Ontario. Aligning asset and energy management is a critical step in achieving cost savings, reducing emissions, and meeting long-term decarbonization and service delivery goals. Through this partnership, we will highlight Ontario case studies that showcase collaboration between energy and asset management teams.  

Hear from the City of Kingston as they share their journey of successfully merging their asset and energy management departments and the key lessons they’ve learned from this integrated approach. Following the presentation, participants will have the opportunity to engage in discussion on the challenges, opportunities, and key considerations involved in aligning these two departments.

Additional Resources

Low-Carbon Affordable Housing: Sundance Housing Co-Op Deep Energy Retrofit

Energy efficiency retrofits in social and affordable housing present an enormous opportunity to protect against energy price increases, reduce greenhouse gas and air pollution emissions and create more comfortable spaces for residents. There are significant benefits that can come from ensuring that experiences and lessons learned from retrofit projects are shared across the social and affordable housing and municipal corporate energy sector. In this webinar, Peter Amerongen from Retrofit Canada spoke to the partnership efforts, lessons learned, and how the Sundance housing Co-op Deep Energy Retrofit project was instrumental in the development of a Retrofit Roadmap.

Additional Resources:

CAC Roundtable: March 2026

This roundtable summarized key outcomes from previous Climate Plan Update workshops and dove into the two “generations” of municipal climate plans, including how early plans were designed (CAP 1.0) and the areas newer, improved plans (CAP 2.0) should address.