The Town of Ajax Green Development and Environmental Design Guidelines (GDEDG) were approved by council in April 2022. It is a tiered municipal green standard. There are two levels of achievement for the GDEDG:
Tier 1 is the minimum required level of achievement
Tier 2 is a voluntary higher level of achievement.
Planning & Development Services Department tracks the implementation of the GDEDG.
Aurora
Aurora's Green Development Standards has a points based system whereby there are mandatory requirements and then additional metrics that are selected by development applicants, requiring applications to achieve a minimum threshold score to proceed through the planning process.
Brampton
Sustainable New Communities Program is a point-based system in which development proposals earn points for achieving specific criteria (metrics) organized around the categories of Built Environment, Mobility, Natural Environment & Open Space, and Infrastructure & Buildings. Development applications are required to achieve a minimum score (within the Bronze threshold). As of January 1, 2023 all applicable applications submitted on or after this date will be required to achieve a minimum 'Good' level for the Building Energy Efficiency, Greenhouse Gas Reduction, and Resilience metric (i.e., IB-12). This requirement is in addition to the minimum 'Bronze' score required through the program.
Burlington
The City's Sustainable Building and Development Guidelines, 2021 are voluntary guidelines with no requirements for uptake.
Caledon
The Town of Caledon's Green Development Standards (GDS) program passed by Council in May 2024, and came into effect on July 1, 2024.
Durham Region
GDS are implemented at local level.
The Region and several local area municipalities have approved new standards incorporating climate resilience into new construction. In 2023, Durham Council approved the Durham Standard – A Standard for Regional Municipality of Durham Facility Construction and Renovation Projects requiring measures for asset resiliency, circular economy, water efficiency and ecology. Town of Ajax, City of Pickering, Town of Whitby, and Municipality of Clarington have Green Development Standards approved or under development that promote cool roofs, natural heritage and urban forest, stormwater management, renewable energy, and greenspace protection.
Halton Hills
Town of Halton Hills Green Development Standards v3 is a point based GDS. All applications must identify the metrics they will implement that achieves a minimum of at least 20 points.
King
The Town has a new ThinKING Green: Sustainable Development Program replacing the Township's Sustainable King: Green Development Standards Program.
Its is a points based green standard with each metric being allocated a point score value and with all development applications being required to achieve a minimum score to proceed through the planning process.
Oakville
Ottawa
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.
Pickering
The City of Pickering has recently adopted new Integrated Sustainable Design Standards (ISDS) for all new development in the city to replace the 2007 Sustainable Development Guidelines.
The new standards consist of two tiers of performance criteria. Tier 1 elements would be required for all new developments arising from Site Plans and Subdivision applications deemed complete on or after January 1, 2023.
Tier 2 consists of an optional, higher level of achievement. Tracking performance is integrated into site plan agreements.
Region of Peel
GDS are implemented at local level. Section 1.6 of Region of Peel Official Plan encourages local municipalities to advance GDS.
Richmond Hill
City’s Sustainability Metrics Program was updated in May 2024. The updated program includes approximately 120 metric options spanning five categories (Built Environment, Mobility, Natural Environment and Parks, Infrastructure and Buildings, and Innovation). Each metric has an associated point value. There are 3 performance levels that can be achieved through the Sustainability Metrics Program – Gold, Silver and Bronze – based on the final sustainability score received. Development applications must achieve at least a "bronze" performance level to be considered for approval.
Toronto
The Toronto Green Standard (TGS) V4 was adopted by Council in 2021. The Standard consists of performance tiers, with Tier 1 being mandatory and applied through the planning approval process. The Development Charge Refund Program offers financial incentives for eligible and verified Tier 2 and 3 performance, low emissions projects. Embodied carbon is incorporated in the TGS in the voluntary tiers and is applied to City of Toronto corporate green standards for their own buildings and aims for a minimum of 20% embodied carbon reduction, compared with a baseline building.
Vaughan
Vaughan’s updated Sustainability Metrics Program (SMP) requirements came into effect in 2023. These include the new Bird-Safe Design Standards and revisions to the SMP guidebook.
The Program uses a point-based system in which a development proposal earns points for achieving criteria (metrics) organized around the categories of built environment, mobility, natural environment and parks, infrastructure and buildings, and innovation. Points earned through these criteria go towards the minimum sustainability score that development proposals are required to achieve.
The threshold levels are Bronze, Silver, and Gold. In Vaughan, all new development applications located within the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC) have to achieve a minimum performance level of Silver. For all new development outside of VMC the minimum performance level is Bronze.
Waterloo Region
The Region is partnering with Area Municipalities and Townships on the development of standardized high performance development standards. This project is being led by Waterloo Region Community Energy.
Whitby
The Whitby Green Standard (WGS), Version 1 has been in place since September 2020. In 2024, the Town is working to update the WGS to Version 2 with a tentative schedule to go to Council in Q1 of 2025.
The WGS is a tiered program approach. Tier 1 is mandatory and required through the planning approval process. Tiers 2 to 4 are higher level voluntary standards that could eventually be tied to financial and non-financial incentives. The Town is currently updating their Green Standard to version 2.
Additionally, the Town is looking into developing an incentive program in partnership with the Durham Region, the City of Pickering and the Town of Ajax.