Item - 2025.EX28.25

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council receive the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative - Climate Mayors Leadership Forum September 24, 2025, meeting update outlined in the letter (November 21, 2025) from Councillor Paul Ainslie for information.

I was pleased to attend the Climate Mayors Leadership Forum on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, representing the City of Toronto and Mayor Olivia Chow in New York City.

The purpose of the forum was to convene municipal leaders from across the Great Lakes region to share strategies and commitments to advance climate action, housing resilience, and energy affordability.

The discussions focused on:

- Creating a vision for the future of climate action and shifting the narrative from risk to opportunity.
- Integrated strategies for tackling housing and climate crises, ensuring affordable, energy-efficient, and resilient homes.
- Reducing energy burdens through modernization and equitable solutions for families.
- Building resilience against extreme weather events, with lessons from recent hurricanes and wildfires.
- Strengthening U.S. and global mayoral leadership in climate diplomacy.
 

Toronto’s participation was essential because our city is a recognized leader in sustainability and urban resilience.

By attending, I was able to:

- Share Toronto’s best practices from our climate action plan and housing initiatives.
- Learn innovative approaches to energy affordability and infrastructure modernization.
- Build partnerships which support economic transformation and equitable climate solutions.
- Ensure Toronto’s voice contributes to shaping regional, national and global strategies for climate leadership.
 

My schedule included:

- The Climate Mayors Leadership Forum, Cities Initiative Roundtable on Economic Transformation Action Plan Implementation,

- I was honoured to participate as a panellist at the “Fireside Chat for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative Economic Transformation Action Plan” Launch Event.

The panel participants along with myself included Montreal’s Mayor Valerie Plante, Chicago, Illinois’ Mayor Brandon Johnson, Cleveland, Ohio’s Mayor Justin Bibb. The panel was moderated by St. Catharines, Ontario’s Mayor Mat Siscoe.

Of great interest during the panel discussion to everyone was the successful model created by all three levels of government, including the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to revitalize the mouth of the Don River.

I was further able to elaborate that Toronto remains committed to bold climate leadership and equitable solutions to address housing, energy affordability, as well as climate resilience in the face of extreme weather events.

It a tremendous honour to be Mayor Chow’s delegate in representing Toronto City Council, and our city in contributing to these critical discussions.

For more information please visit: Welcome to the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative - Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative