Item - 2023.PH3.19

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council direct that development will be in accordance with the performance standards of the Toronto Green Standard applicable at the time of a complete site plan application.

2. City Council adopt the revised performance measures as shown in Attachment 1 to the report (April 11, 2023) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning for Toronto Green Standard Version 4 (2022) Low-Rise Residential; Mid- to High-Rise Residential and All Non-Residential and City Agency, Corporation and Division-Owned Facilities to be applied to new development applications deemed complete as of the date of this City Council decision.

3. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning in consultation with the Executive Director, Environment and Climate, the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building, and the City Solicitor, to report to the Planning and Housing Committee in the second quarter of  2024 on the feasibility of requiring mandatory embodied emissions caps for new development as part of the update of the Toronto Green Standard to Version 5.

4. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in consultation with the Executive Director, Environment and Climate, Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building, and other relevant Divisions, to report to the Planning and Housing Committee in the second quarter 2024 on the results of further analysis on embodied emissions including approaches to effectively manage embodied carbon in City-owned infrastructure, impacts of demolition, and ways to incentivize adaptive reuse of building structures.

This report presents a revision to the Toronto Green Standard Version 4 (TGS v4) 2022 embodied emissions performance measures and information on the Toronto Green Standard Communication Strategy. The proposed revision is in response to a July 2021 Council request to provide an update on the outcome of the 2022 study work on embodied emissions and opportunities to improve the uptake of higher levels of performance through the Toronto Green Standard. The revision to the Toronto Green Standard would further advance net zero emissions in new development through the incorporation of embodied emissions caps and is a critical component of the City's efforts to achieve zero emissions buildings by 2030 as set out in TransformTO.

Since 2010, the Tier 1 of the Toronto Green Standard has been required for development applications. The objective is to influence and support change to achieve more sustainable development in the City. Based on tiers of increasingly sustainable performance, the Toronto Green Standard provides a clear pathway to achieve the City's climate change objectives and expectations for future updates. Builders who are market leaders in sustainability are eligible for an incentive under the City's Toronto Green Standard Development Charge Refund Program if constructing at higher tiers.

Embodied carbon has become an area of focus in mitigating climate change. Studies indicate that embodied emissions in construction materials can account for up to 80% of a large buildings' total emissions from extraction to decommissioning. Toronto's Green Standard Version 4 included requirements for the Tier 2 and Tier 3 levels to track and report upfront embodied carbon in construction, but did not set performance targets or 'caps' pending the results of two Toronto area studies. This report describes the study findings and recommendations for changes to the Toronto Green Standard to address this important issue and future work being undertaken. In addition, this report clarifies that the performance standards of the Toronto Green Standard applicable at the time of a complete site plan application will apply. Where a development proposal consists of more than one building this will provide clarity that the applicable standard will apply upon receipt of each complete site plan application.

The Toronto Green Standard performs an important role as a market transformation tool to progressively push development beyond the minimum standards of the Ontario Building Code towards Toronto's zero-emissions targets. Despite its success and recognition as a leader in its applicability, the TGS is not well known by the public and investment in the higher, voluntary performance measures are not perceived as a marketable premium by developers. In 2022, City Planning hired a consultant to develop a Toronto Green Standard Communications Strategy to improve the uptake and desirability of achieving adoption of Tier 2 and Tier 3 standards in new developments. The work included consultation with designers, developers and industry associations on their understanding and experience with the Standard. The TGS Communications Strategy sets out a plan for new graphics, focused content messaging, redesigned case studies and social media marketing to be advanced this spring.