Ontario municipalities have declared climate emergencies and are leading delivery of bold climate actions in their communities. But to achieve their climate commitments, municipalities need the province to be a collaborative partner.
There is a lack of alignment between municipal climate commitments and provincial priorities. Municipalities have limited authority from the province to deliver their climate goals, and the provincial decisions are undermining climate progress.
There is an urgent need for collaboration amongst the province and the municipalities on policies and programming to help build net-zero communities, and deliver economic prosperity, green jobs, energy efficiency, and carbon emission reductions.
Ontario municipalities have declared climate emergencies and are leading delivery of bold climate actions in their communities. But to achieve their climate commitments, municipalities need the province to be a collaborative partner.
There is a lack of alignment between municipal climate commitments and provincial priorities. Municipalities have limited authority from the province to deliver their climate goals, and the provincial decisions are undermining climate progress.
There is an urgent need for collaboration amongst the province and the municipalities on policies and programming to help build net-zero communities, and deliver economic prosperity, green jobs, energy efficiency, and carbon emission reductions.
Help Communities Lead
Help Communities Lead builds awareness and support for better municipal and provincial climate policy alignment to help Ontario achieve our economic, social, and environmental priorities. Help Communities Lead provides tools and resources to local governments to share their input on climate policy alignment via municipal council discussions and passing resolutions to engage with the province on three key climate action priorities where provincial leadership would be instrumental in supporting municipalities to advance their climate commitments. They are:
Advancing a climate accountability framework
Using an energy decision matrix to include economic, environmental and social considerations of Ontario energy decisions
Advancing a province-wide building improvement strategy to reduce building emissions
Help Communities Lead is supported by the Ontario Climate Caucus, a non-partisan network of Ontario mayors and councillors working collaboratively alongside the national Climate Caucus, which consists of an additional 500 mayors and councillors from across Canada working together to build equitable, regenerative and resilient communities. The Ontario Climate Caucus is facilitated by Clean Air Partnership and works on Ontario specific action items as determined by Ontario Climate Caucus members. You can join the Ontario Climate Caucus here or by emailing Gaby at gkalapos@cleanairpartnership.org.