Item - 2025.IE21.3

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council amend City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 669, Climate Change Goals and Governance, as follows:

a. delete § 669-2.3C(1) and replace it with the following, in order to postpone the reporting to no later than the end of 2025:

1. No later than December 31, 2025, the City Manager, or designate, and the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, considering the advice of the Executive Director, Environment and Climate, shall provide to City Council an Advanced Plan for actions to achieve the 2030 greenhouse gas emission reduction targets set out in § 669-2.1B(1) and the greenhouse gas emissions budget for Community emission sources for the period between 2026-2030.

b. delete § 669-2.3D(1) and replace it with the following, in order to postpone the reporting to no later than the end of 2025:

1. No later than December 31, 2025, the City Manager, or designate, shall bring forward for consideration by City Council an Advanced Plan for actions to achieve the 2026-2030 greenhouse gas emissions budget for Corporate emission sources - Buildings.

c. delete § 669-2.3E(1) and replace it with the following, in order to postpone the reporting to no later than the end of 2025: 

1. No later than December 31, 2025, the City Manager, or designate, shall bring forward for consideration by City Council an Advanced Plan for actions to achieve the 2026-2030 greenhouse gas emissions budget for Corporate emission sources - Transportation.  

2. City Council direct that the amendments to the City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 669, Climate Change Goals and Governance, described in Part 1 above, come into force on May 31, 2025.

3. City Council authorize the City Solicitor, in consultation with the Executive Director, Environment, Climate and Forestry, to prepare the necessary bill required to give effect to City Council's decision and to make such clarifications, minor modifications, technical or stylistic refinements as may be identified by the City Solicitor.

In response to the climate emergency, in 2021 City Council endorsed the TransformTO Net Zero Strategy and adopted the target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions in Toronto community-wide by 2040. At that time, City Council also adopted the first of four short-term action plans (for 2022-2025) to move Toronto toward the 2040 target.

Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 669, Climate Change Goals and Governance, sections 669-2.3C(1), D(1) and E(1) prescribe that the next short-term plan to reduce community-wide and City corporate greenhouse gas emissions over 2026-30 shall be brought forward by June 30, 2025 for consideration by City Council.

Work to date on developing the Net Zero Strategy Action Plan (2026-30) indicates that Building Emissions Performance Standards are a significant action that the City can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions community-wide as buildings represent the single largest source of emissions. Staff have been directed to bring forward a detailed plan for how Building Emissions Performance Standards will be implemented for City Council consideration (2023.EX7.1, Part 12) in the third quarter of 2025 (2024.IE15.4). The report is currently tracking to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee meeting scheduled for September 24, 2025.

Given the expected importance of Building Emissions Performance Standards for the Net Zero Strategy Action Plan (2026-30), this report recommends amending Municipal Code Chapter 669 to allow City Council consideration of the Net Zero Strategy Action Plan (2026-30) and Building Emissions Performance Standards at the same time. The proposed amendments to Municipal Code Chapter 669 would defer Council consideration of the Net Zero Strategy Action Plan (2026-30), and Advance Plans for Corporate emissions from buildings and transportation, from June 2025 to before the end of 2025.

The Net Zero Strategy 2024 Annual Report on implementation progress will proceed as scheduled and be brought forward to Infrastructure and Environment Committee at its June 2025 meeting.