Item - 2014.PE28.6

City Council on July 8, 9, 10 and 11, 2014, adopted the following:

1.         City Council adopt the "Climate Change Risk Management Policy", as outlined in Appendix A to the report (June 9, 2014) from the Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer, which establishes the necessary processes and controls for systematically identifying, assessing and taking action to mitigate risks arising from a changing climate and defines roles and responsibilities.

2.         City Council require all City Agencies and request all City Corporations to adopt the City's Climate Change Risk Management Policy or a similar policy that is consistent with the one adopted by City Council and advise the Chief Corporate Officer when such policy has been adopted.

3.         City Council request the Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada to prioritize the health and safety of residents resulting from a changing climate and extreme weather, with attention to the particular needs of large cities as a result of their density and the age of infrastructure, and the need for intergovernmental coordination among all governments, including municipalities; and direct the City Manager to continue to work with provincial and federal officials, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and key municipal stakeholders to advance this intergovernmental priority.

4.         City Council direct the Chief Corporate Officer in collaboration with the Executive Environment Team members to:

a.         establish a process to manage across City Divisions and Agencies the interdependencies of infrastructure and services identified as being at risk to a changing climate; and

b.         to explore partnership opportunities with the private sector and broader public sector, such as telecommunication, private utility, healthcare, banking and insurance, in the implementation of collective action that increases Toronto’s resilience to a changing climate and extreme weather.

5.         City Council direct the Director, Environment and Energy to:

a.         lead the City’s efforts to monitor and research how the climate is changing and when new information relevant to the City of Toronto becomes available, provide this to City Council, the City Manager, the Deputy City Managers and all Division Heads;

b.         assist, where necessary, City Divisions and Agencies in undertaking climate change and extreme weather risk assessments of their operations and the identification of actions that could be taken to mitigate those risks;

c.         coordinate annual reporting to City Council on the implementation of the “Climate Change Risk Management Policy” with the first report to be presented in the first quarter of 2016; and

d.         collaborate with the Director of Strategic Communications and all relevant City Divisions, Agencies and Corporations, to establish a corporate-wide integrated approach to communicating, educating and engaging residents and businesses about the resources and supports available to them and the actions they can take to increase their resilience to a changing climate and extreme weather.

6.         City Council request the Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Corporate Officer to prepare a business case for consideration during the 2015 budget process and beyond that provides resources required to support implementation of the Climate Change Risk Assessment Policy.

7.         City Council endorse the proposed letter of understanding, as outlined in Appendix C to the report (June 9, 2014) from the Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer, between the City of Toronto and Toronto Hydro for Collaborative Energy Planning.

8.         City Council direct the Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Corporate Officer to identify proposals for consideration during the 2015 budget process and beyond for financing required increases in the electrical standby capacity in critical City-owned buildings operated by Facilities Management.

9.         City Council authorize the Director, Environment and Energy the option to provide access to the Toronto Climate Risk Assessment Tool to the private sector and broader public sector at no financial cost and with the discretion to dispense with an indemnity.

10.       In recognition of continued significant increases in global greenhouse gas emissions, City Council request the Chief Corporate Officer to develop for Council's consideration a program accelerating the actions being taken to address the emission reduction and sustainable energy targets as adopted in the Climate Change Action Plan and the Power to Live Green: Toronto's Sustainable Energy Strategy; and that such program include:

a.         performing the required studies and analyses to accurately define the major sources of emissions both stationary and mobile;

b.         recommending to City Council a course of action for the City to undertake to lower emissions in the Toronto airshed;

c.         consulting with City Councillors, academia, subject matter experts, community leaders, appropriate City Divisions, Agencies and Corporations to ensure the recommended initiatives are timely and, effective;

d.         engaging with Federal, Provincial and Municipal Governments in initiating the regulatory and policy changes needed to address climate change;

e.         reporting annually, starting in 2015, on progress made through the Sustainable Environment and Energy Progress Report, as identified in City Council's Strategic Actions (action #6); and

f.          identification of the resources necessary to develop the proposed program in the 2015 Operating Budget for Budget Committee and Council's consideration.