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Meeting the Challenge
of Climate Change
TRCA Action Plan for
The Living City
Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change
| TRCA Action Plan for The Living City
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
3
2.0 Climate Trends and Regional Climate Sensitivities
3
2.1
Global, national and regional climate trends
4
2.2
Climate change and the watersheds in TRCA’s jurisdiction
9
3.0 TRCA’s Climate Change Approach 12
3.1
Adaptation
12
3.2
Mitigation 13
4.0 What is TRCA doing to Address Climate Impacts? 14
5.0 TRCA’s Climate Action Plan: Framework
16
5.1
Guiding principals: Identifying priorities within a risk and
vulnerability framework 16
5.2
Process 17
6.0 TRCA’s Climate Action Plan: Gap Analysis
18
6.1
Knowledge and understanding of climate impacts 18
6.2
Policy and design standards 19
6.3
Monitoring and long-term data collection for local trends 19
6.4
Inter-agency coordination
19
6.5
Funding 19
7.0 TRCA’s Climate Action Plan: Key Priority Actions
19
7.1
19
Adaptation
7.1.1 Increasing our knowledge and understanding
19
7.1.2 Reducing risk to communities 20
7.1.3 Building a resilient natural system in the GTA 20
7.2
21
Mitigation 7.2.1 Promoting a culture of conservation through market transformation
21
7.2.2 Greening our own operations
21
7.2.3 Leadership through partnership
21
8.0 Measuring our Progress and Performance
22
8.1 Measuring our progress
22
8.2 Measuring our performance
22
9.0 Communicating our Message
22
10.0 Moving Ahead with Implementation
23
11.0 Appendix
24
12.0 References
27
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Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Projected climate changes for southern Ontario Table 2: Climate change and potential ground impacts within
TRCA’s jurisdiction
Table 3: TRCA’s actions to address climate change 9
10-11
16
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Projected changes in summer temperatures in southern
Ontario for 2071-2100 (MNR, 2007a) 6
Figure 2: Projected changes in winter temperatures in southern
Ontario for 2071-2100 (MNR, 2007a) 6
Figure 3: Ontario precipitation: Projected seasonal precipitation
changes between 1975-1995 and 2080-2100,
Canadian Model, CGCM1 (EC)
7
Figure 4: Biodiversity: Changes in family forest diversity in Ontario
under 2XCO2 climate warming (EC) 8
Figure 5: Addressing climate change at TRCA
12
Figure 6: TRCA’s Climate Action Plan: Process 18
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1.0 INTRODUCTION
Toronto and Region Conservation (TRCA) is committed to taking immediate action and exemplifying leadership to
support our communities and partners in dealing with climate change mitigation and adaptation. Our Strategic Plan,
Moving Toward The Living City, identifies that recognizing and integrating climate change will be a critical component
in achieving the objectives and goals of a healthy, sustainable urban region extending into the 22nd century.
Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change: TRCA Action Plan for the Living City is a proactive strategy to address the
impacts of climate change within our jurisdiction and provides a business planning framework through the coming
decade.
With adaptation and mitigation at the core of our efforts, we believe that TRCA will be in a strong position to
exemplify leadership and support our communities and partners in dealing with climate change. Toronto and Region
Conservation’s climate action plan builds on our strengths in adaptive watershed management and leadership in the
application of sustainability at the local level.
2.0 CLIMATE TRENDS AND REGIONAL CLIMATE SENSITIVITIES
Southern Ontario is beginning to experience an array of climatic changes ranging from increasing temperatures to
erratic precipitation, drought, flooding and unpredictable weather. Toronto and Region Conservation recognizes that
although the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) will be among the more fortunate areas of the world as the climate continues
to change, serious challenges remain. For example:
• The hydrologic cycle and, therefore, water quantity and quality, will be affected by changing temperatures, as well
as the changes in the seasonal distribution and intensity of precipitation.
• Air quality, already a significant issue in the GTA, may degrade as the climate becomes warmer, causing increased
human health risks.
• Electricity short-falls will likely grow as demand on
the grid increases, thus increasing the likelihood
of brownouts.
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• Some invasive species, whose habitat was previously
limited due to climate conditions, may now be able
to survive in the GTA, resulting in a rise of invasive
species as well as create a strain on our natural systems.
Increased potential for the spread of disease and pest
infestation will stress local species and their habitat.
Scientists around the world are convinced that climate
change is now underway and is principally caused by a build
up of green house gases (GHG) in the atmosphere, the
result of excessive burning of fossil fuels since the industrial
revolution. According to international scientific consensus, it
is too late to completely stop the advance of climate change.
However, we can and should work to slow it down.
“Since the last Ice Age, approximately 10,000 years BC, the
land has risen, lake drainages have changed and the climate
has gone through periods of warming and cooling. In the past
hundred years, as a result of human activities, greenhouse gases
in the atmosphere have increased to levels that scientists have
concluded are changing our climate.” (NRCan, 2006)
We appreciate that in order to effectively provide leadership to our partners and communities in dealing with the
impacts of climate change, we must have a strong understanding of how the science of climate change works and how
climate change will affect us and our watersheds in the future.
The following section looks at some of the general climate trends on the global, national and regional scale, then using
climate indicators, presents the trends that are likely to impact TRCA’s jurisdiction.
2.1 Global, national and regional climate trends
Following much research and analysis, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the leading
international body charged with deciphering what climate
change holds for our future, concludes that the “warming
of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident
from observations of increases in global average air and
ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and
ice, and rising global average sea level.” (IPCC, 2007)
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Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change
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“Eleven of the last 12 years (1995–2006) rank among the
warmest years in the instrumental record of global surface
temperature (since 1850).” (IPCC, 2007)
The IPCC expects that warming in the 21st century will be greatest over land, and at most, in the higher northern
latitudes. It further suggests that it is very likely that hot extremes, heat waves and heavy precipitation events will
continue to become more frequent.
In both hemispheres, mountain glaciers
and snow cover have declined,
contributing to the rise in sea levels.
In the Arctic, in particular, over the last
100 years, temperatures have been
increasing at almost twice the global
average rate.
For most of Canada, this translates
into temperature increases both on a
seasonal basis, with winters warming
more than summers, and on a daily
basis, with evenings warming more than
daytime. Along with increased warming,
Canada is expected to experience
changes in precipitation patterns,
changes in climate variability, and
shifts in the frequency and intensity of
extreme climate events (NRCan, 2004).
These projected changes to Canada’s climate will have far-reaching impacts, influencing everything from forest
composition, to aquatic and terrestrial life, to agriculture. As with all environmental change, the net impact of warmer
temperatures is uncertain. Forests (and agriculture), for example, could benefit from a longer growing season.
These benefits, however, would likely be offset by associated increases in moisture stress, ecosystem instability,
and increases in the frequency and intensity of forest fires, insect outbreaks (shorter, warmer winters translate into
increased persistence of insects that would normally die off during the cold of winter; range expands (Hunt et al,
2006)) and extreme weather events.
Similarly, under the Coupled General Circulation Model 2 (second generation), A2 scenario (CGCM2 A2), southern
Ontario is expected to experience an increase in annual temperature in the order of two to six degrees Celsius, with
summer temperatures rising by two to five degrees Celsius and winter temperatures increasing by three to six degrees
Celsius (MNR, 2007a)—during the summer of 2005, Toronto had 41 days where the average temperature was over 30
degrees Celsius, almost a three-fold increase from the average during 1961–1990 (EC, 2005b). In addition, winter cold
extremes that now occur on average every 10 years are expected to occur less than once every 80 years (EC, 2004).
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Figure 1: Projected changes in summer temperatures in southern Ontario for 2071–2100 (MNR, 2007a)
Figure 2: Projected changes in winter temperatures in southern Ontario for 2071–2100 (MNR, 2007a)
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Projections of warmer temperatures are consistent with
observed trends in the region where the frost-free period
has lengthened and total annual snowfall has decreased.
Snow cover, depth and duration have also been reduced,
and lake ice coverage has declined, with later dates of
freezing and earlier ice-off dates.
As temperatures rise in southern Ontario, annual
precipitation is expected to become more variable. For
most of southern Ontario, under the Coupled General
Circulation Model 1 (first generation) (CGCM1), the
greatest seasonal changes for precipitation are expected
in the winter, where increases are expected on the
order of 10–30 per cent by 2100 (EC, 2004); summer
precipitation is expected to increase or decrease by up to
10 per cent—further supporting future variability, summer 2007 saw Toronto experience the lowest rainfall total since
record keeping began in 1959 (EC, 2007). Warmer winter temperatures translate into more precipitation falling as rain,
instead of as snow.
While a significant overall increase in precipitation totals is not anticipated, an increase in occurrence and intensity
of extreme rainfall events is expected. The warmer temperatures are expected to increase evaporation which will
likely result in a general lowering of water levels in the Great Lakes (NRCan, 2008). This will lead to warmer water
temperatures, and will affect the timing of seasonal mixing and overall water quality.
Figure 3: Ontario precipitation: Projected seasonal precipitation changes between 1975–1995 and 2080–2100
(EC, 2004)
S’rn Ont
10 -30%
increase
S’rn Ont a rio
Within +/ 10%
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Southern Ontario is expected to experience an
increase in occurrence of smog advisory days. In
2005, Ontario recorded 53 smog advisory days,
exceeding the previous records of 27 smog advisory
days in 2002. This trend is expected to continue
(MOE, 2007).
As the climate becomes warmer, biodiversity will
change. Typically, warmer environments support
greater biodiversity. That being said, in southern
Ontario, the potential increase in biodiversity may
come at the expense of the native species, as they
are either stressed or out-competed by non-native
invasive species migrating north. According to
Environment Canada, one or two degrees of warming could have a significant impact on biodiversity and land use in
southern Ontario.
For each mean degree of temperature increase, this translates into the addition of roughly one forest family (one
forest family, for example, includes all of the pine, spruce and fir trees). This suggests that over the next 100 years,
the hardwood tree biodiversity potential of southern Ontario has the potential to move well into northern Ontario (See
Fig. 4: Biodiversity: Changes in family forest diversity in Ontario under 2XCO2 climate warming). Trees and vegetation,
however, do not migrate at such a quick rate and, as a result, may be stressed by the imbalance.
Figure 4: Biodiversity: Changes in family forest diversity in Ontario under 2XCO2 climate warming (EC, 2004)
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Table 1: Projected climate changes for southern Ontario
Climate
variable
General/specific
changes expected
Seasonal/geographic pattern of change
Supported by science/source
Southern Ontario is
expected to experience
temperature increases
of 2˚ to 6˚C.
Under HadCM3, annual mean warming for
Toronto (2050s) is expected to increase by 2.5˚ to
4.0˚C (NRCan, 2006); under CGCM2 A2 annual
temperature increases in southern Ontario will be
more pronounced in the winter (3˚ to 6˚C) than in the
summer (2˚ to 5˚C) (MNR, 2007a).
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) 2006, Coastal
Zones and Climate Change on the Great Lakes: Final
Report; Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
(MNR) 2007, Climate Change Projections for Ontario:
Practical Information for Policymakers and Planners.
Southern Ontario is
expected to experience a
decline in cold extremes.
Winter cold extremes that now occur on average
once every 10 years will likely occur less than once
every 80 years.
Environment Canada (EC) 2004, Understanding
Climate Change: The Science, Impacts and Actions
to be Taken.
Under HadCM3, Toronto is projected to experience
total annual precipitation increases of two to 13 per
cent (NRCan, 2006). Under CGCM2 A2, however,
southern Ontario, south of Owen Sound to Pembroke,
is expected to experience a decline in precipitation
of up to 10 per cent, while north of Owen Sound to
Pembroke, precipitation is expected to increase by
10 per cent (MNR, 2007a). Under CGCM1, winter
precipitation increases are expected on the order of
10–30 per cent, while summer precipitation is expected to increase or decrease by up to 10 per cent.
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) 2006, Coastal
Zones and Climate Change on the Great Lakes: Final
Report; Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
(MNR) 2007, Climate Change Projections for Ontario:
Practical Information for Policymakers and Planners.
Overall increase in occurrence and intensity of extreme
rainfall events, decline in the total number of winter storm
events.
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) 2006, Coastal
Zones and Climate Change on the Great Lakes: Final
Report
Southern Ontario could experience a decrease in
freezing rain events during the months of November,
April and May (10 per cent by 2050, and 15 per cent
by 2080). Future freezing rain events could increase
during the months of December, January and February
(40 per cent by 2050, and 45 per cent by 2080).
Cheng et al. 2007. Possible impacts of climate
change on freezing rain in south-central Canada
using downscaled future climate scenarios. Natural
Hazards and Earth System Sciences
In 2005, Ontario recorded 53 smog advisory days,
exceeding the previous records of 27 smog advisory
days in 2002. This trend is expected to continue.
Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE) 2007,
http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/en/air/climatechange/
index.php
Canadian Coupled Global Circulation Model (CGCM2)
A2, a mid-range scenario, projects atmospheric CO2
concentration of 1320 ppm by 2100.
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) 2007,
Climate Change Projections for Ontario: Practical
Information for Policymakers and Planners
Data collected from polar ice cores show that
concentrations of CO2 have increased by 30 per cent
since the start of the industrial revolution and are
expected to reach 970 ppm by 2100.
Environment Canada (EC) 2004, Understanding
Climate Change: The Science, Impacts and Actions
to be Taken
Temperature
Precipitation
Smog
Emissions /
GHGs
Annual precipitation is
expected to become
more variable and the
ratio of snow to annual
precipitation is expected
to decrease.
Southern Ontario is
expected to experience
an increase in the
occurrence of smog
advisory days.
Atmospheric CO2 is
expected to increase.
2.2 Climate change and the watersheds in TRCA’s jurisdiction
Toronto and Region Conservation’s jurisdiction is influenced by the sheer magnitude of its urban centres. Urban
centres rely on municipal infrastructure such as sewage and water treatment facilities, roads, bridges and dams,
electricity and communications. The forecasted increase in extreme events, such as storms, flooding and drought, will
create additional risk to both these facilities and their operational function, placing municipal infrastructure at risk and,
therefore impact the operation of our urban centres.
Further exacerbating the effects of climate change are urban centres and urban sprawl, which contribute to energy
absorption and surface runoff. This is a result, in large part, of the abundance of paved surfaces. Along with warmer
water temperatures, increased surface runoff will impact the physical, chemical and ecological health of the streams,
rivers and lakes in TRCA’s jurisdiction.
At this time, as a result of the current state of the science of climate modeling, the levels of uncertainty with both
Global and Regional climate models, it is difficult to clearly define how climate change will be manifested on the scale
of TRCA’s jurisdiction.
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While most global climate change models predict increases
in temperature and variability in precipitation in the southern
Ontario region, predictions vary widely between models in terms
of both total change and the seasonal distribution of those
changes. Further, because of the scale of the global models,
the smallest prediction units are in the range of 100,000 square
kilometres, it is not possible to effectively predict climate change
effects on a local scale.
To better understand how local climate patterns will be influenced
by climate change, TRCA and its partners have begun to explore
techniques to more accurately predict local climate change.
Table 2: Climate change and potential ground impacts within TRCA’s jurisdiction
Sector
Impact and system response
Terrestrial
ecosystems
(including
urban forests)
• Northward expansion of the Carolinian Zone. Most tree species migrate at a rate of only four to
200 kilometres/century. Models predict a northward shift of more than 500 kilometres/century.
Unable to keep pace with climate change, woodlots are more likely to become stressed or die
out, leading to loss of native biodiversity (EC, 2005a).
• While warmer landscapes will support greater biodiversity, the increase in future species may
originate from invasion of exotics and loss of native biodiversity.
• Species loss as a result of habitat change (e.g., grassland birds will shift northwards but their
habitat will not likely move at the same rate).
• Species loss as a result of inability to compete with invasive species and decoupled species
relationships.
• Proliferation of over-wintering insect pests which will impact agricultural and forestry production.
• Where land use creates barriers to dispersal of native species and facilitates dispersal of
exotic species, climate change in urban areas/human-dominated landscapes of GTA is likely to
produce more exotic species than native species.
• Plants growing earlier in the spring with earlier germination leaf-out and flowering times.
• Increased decline of some tree species such as pines and maples.
• Uncertain impacts on wetlands: structure, function, hydrology.
Water quantity
and quality
(hydrology)
• Warmer temperatures exacerbate air-quality problems in urban centres and may result in
increased production of ozone and other photochemical components of smog (NRCan, 2008);
increased occurrence of human respirator difficulties; risk of solar radiation during outdoor
recreation; and a likely increase in vector-borne diseases such as malaria, Lyme disease and
West Nile virus; water-borne diseases and heat-related illnesses.
• Extreme weather events may further cause risks to human life and property due to flooding.
• Changes in flora and fauna may have impacts on nature-based recreation such as bird
watching, angling and nature viewing; however, climate change may result in a net positive
impact on nature-based tourism and outdoor recreation in our jurisdiction due to increasing
season length for warm-weather activities.
• Canoeing may be limited due to potential reduction in baseflow in some lower tributaries of the
watersheds.
• Loss of swimming days due to beach closures because of bacteria.
Table 2 continued on page 11
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Table 2 continued from page 10
Sector
Impact and system response
Aquatic
ecosystems
(including
coastal
eco-systems)
• As surface temperatures increase, water temperatures are expected to rise as well. Warmer
waters may result in sensitive aquatic species moving upstream to maintain temperature
conditions resulting in the loss of coldwater fisheries, e.g., trout and salmon; the invasion of
non-native species such as common carp and zebra mussels, which will alter fish community.
• Reduced ice cover which, when coupled with an increase in extreme events, will increase
erosion and sediment loading.
• Rapid spring warming may cause shallower and steeper thermoclines.
Infrastructure
• Increased risk to municipal infrastructure (e.g., increase in road washouts, increased stress
on flood water management system, increased capacity demands on storm sewers and
stormwater management systems).
• Increased cost of insurance as a result of flooded basements and buildings, and extreme
weather (insurance losses multiplied more than 13 times from 1960 to 1999 (CAP, 2007).
• Increase in temperature and extreme events may pose a risk to the integrity and longevity of
built heritage structures.
• Increase in freeze/thaw cycles may create premature deterioration of roads.
Energy
• Peak summer power demand has already shifted the way energy is produced and distributed.
Rising energy costs, growing demand for energy, higher peak energy demand due to
challenging weather conditions, and aging infrastructure are all challenges Toronto will face in
the coming years (EEO, 2007).
• As a result, in part, of increasing demand for summer cooling and decreasing hydroelectric
capacity, Ontario’s electricity supply will need to be replaced with a combination of new supply/
peak demand management and conservation (NRCan, 2008).
• In recent years, rising water temperatures in the Great Lakes have impacted electricity generation by
reducing the efficiency of cooling systems within nuclear and coal-fired plants (NRCan, 2008).
Human
communities
(human health/
recreation)
• Warmer temperatures exacerbate air-quality problems in urban centres and may result in
increased production of ozone and other photochemical components of smog (NRCan, 2008);
increased occurrence of human respirator difficulties; risk of solar radiation during outdoor
recreation; and a likely increase in vector-borne diseases such as malaria, Lyme disease and
West Nile virus; water-borne diseases and heat-related illnesses.
• Extreme weather events may further cause risks to human life and property due to flooding.
• Changes in flora and fauna may have impacts on nature-based recreation such as bird
watching, angling and nature viewing; however, climate change may result in a net positive
impact on nature-based tourism and outdoor recreation in our jurisdiction due to increasing
season length for warm-weather activities.
• Canoeing may be limited due to potential reduction in baseflow in some lower tributaries of the
watersheds.
• Loss of swimming days due to beach closures because of bacteria.
Agriculture
• Both positive and negative impacts are expected—longer frost-free periods could extend the
growing season and potential for new crop varieties.
• Longer frost-free periods support invasion of pests and disease, leading to greater crop losses
(NRCan, 2008).
• Potential for more local production in the GTA.
• High plant productivity due to increased CO2.
• Climate variability—severe drought and floods could damage crops.
• High temperatures may stress livestock, lowering dairy production and weight gains in beef
cattle (Kling et al., 2003).
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3.0 TRCA’S CLIMATE CHANGE APPROACH
Toronto and Region Conservation believes that acting sustainably in our everyday activities is important to adapt and
mitigate against climate change. Due to this belief, TRCA has been incorporating sustainable thinking and values into
its operations and programs since its incorporation in 1957.
From water management to energy conservation, TRCA has positioned itself well within the community and with
its partners. At TRCA, we are not only integrating climate change into our own business operations, we are also
proposing new partnerships and leveraging advanced science to meet the climate challenge on a local, regional and
national scale.
Figure 5: Addressing climate change at TRCA (adapted from Environment Canada)
Climite Change
Including variability
Mitigation
Impact
Autonomous adaptation
Planned
Via GHG sources
and sinks
(energy, reforestation)
Adaptation/watershed
management
Responses
3.1 Adaptation
As an agency created to manage inherently dynamic natural systems, TRCA has needed to be an adaptive management
agency. Toronto and Region Conservation’s adaptation approach is based on reducing harm to individuals, and
building resilient natural systems and watersheds. To decrease vulnerabilities to climate risks and to take advantage of
potential opportunities and benefits resulting from the changing climate, TRCA has initiated work to identify climate risks
in communities and natural systems. Adaptation strategies
will be integrated into TRCA’s existing business areas and
implemented through long-term planning. These strategies
will also evolve as TRCA’s understanding of impacts on
natural systems improves through monitoring and evaluation.
Toronto and Region Conservation is currently participating, on
behalf of Conservation Ontario, on two provincial committees
which have climate change as a significant focus: the
Provincial Urban Flooding Working Group, which is tasked
with developing a provincial strategy around urban flooding;
Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change
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and, a Ministry of Environment committee, which is in the process of reviewing the current policies and guidelines
pertaining to municipal stormwater management, to determine how to integrate climate change. Under a separate
process, the TRCA is working with Environment Canada, multiple conservation areas and several municipalities on a
Pilot Study, with a focus to address the existing short comings of the present process of developing Intensity Duration
Frequency (IDF) curves, and therefore creating adaptive capacity within this critical design tool.
3.2 Mitigation
Toronto and Region Conservation’s climate mitigation approach
is focused around conservation, eco-efficiencies and human
health benefits. Toronto and Region Conservation is committed
to reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) on an operational level,
continuing to develop new partnerships to accelerate the
knowledge and implementation of new technologies, increasing
awareness through The Living City Campus at Kortright
and engaging the community through several community
transformation programs.
Energy production and consumption account for more than 80
per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions in Canada (MNR,
2007b). According to the National Round Table on the Environment and the
Economy (NRTEE), significant (60 per cent) reductions in GHG emissions can
be achieved by the mid-century if energy is used more efficiently and if energy
production emits less carbon.
To reach this end, NRTEE suggests that we must deploy a variety of different GHG
emission-reduction technologies in a variety of different sectors.
In order to achieve a large reduction in GHG emissions by the
mid-century, the electricity sector must transform. Clean coal,
cogeneration and renewables - particularly wind, which Ontario,
for example, intends to acquire to 5,000 megawatts by 2025 offer considerable GHG emission reductions. 40 per cent of the
proposed 60 per cent reduction can be achieved from energy
efficiency alone - 90 per cent of the family dwellings will undergo
energy audits - 165,000 homes/year over the next 50 years.
(NRTEE, 2006)
The strongest mechanism to reduce GHG emissions is through energy efficiency and conser-vation. In addition to
our core mandate of conservation, TRCA has joined forces with several partners from all sectors to accelerate the
application of renewable energy technologies, green building design and energy-efficiency programs.
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4.0 WHAT IS TRCA DOING TO ADDRESS CLIMATE IMPACTS?
Watershed plans
Toronto and Region Conservation is currently developing
the ‘next generation’ of watershed plans to address climate
change and adaptive management. To maximize the
effectiveness of the plans, TRCA is working with climate
prediction models through the Rouge and Humber rivers
watershed plans to better prepare for future variability.
Flood management to reduce risk
With the increasing frequency of extreme weather events,
flood forecasting and early warning systems have been
updated. State-of-risk information is communicated to partner municipalities and the public to ensure that the risks to
life and property as a result of flooding are effectively managed.
The West Don Lands Flood Protection Project and the Don Mouth Naturalization and Port Lands flood protection
design are examples of TRCA’s approach of integrating reduction of flood risks into community design.
Water balance
To address the impact of the increased surface runoff from urban sprawl, innovative stormwater management and
water balance technologies are being developed through the Sustainable Technologies Evaluation Program (STEP).
Examples include permeable pavement, bio-retention swales, rainwater harvesting systems, erosion and sediment
control ponds, air biofiltration systems and rooftop gardens.
Enhancing greenspace
Toronto and Region Conservation is the largest landowner
(15,000 hectares) in the GTA region. The purpose of
TRCA’s Greenlands Acquisition Project is to secure public
greenspace for the protection of our natural heritage, air
quality and the health of the population.
A Terrestrial Natural Heritage Systems Strategy (TNHSS)
has been developed to protect and enhance regional
biodiversity within TRCA’s jurisdiction.
To assist partner municipalities and communities in reducing
urban heat island effects, and to ensure improved air quality, TRCA is undertaking an Urban Tree Canopy study with
our partner municipalities, and working to augment existing forest cover wherever appropriate. Toronto and Region
Conservation planted more than 250,000 trees in 2007 alone.
Local food production
Today, a total of 1,396 hectares of TRCA land is rented for agricultural use. Within its land base, TRCA is well placed to
support the emergence of new near-urban agriculture. Near-urban agriculture reduces the ecological footprint of communities
through the provision of locally grown food. One such project, the 3.2-hectare urban farm on TRCA-owned land in Black
Creek Pioneer Village, was developed in 2005 in partnership with the City of Toronto and other community groups.
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Sustainable community development
The Block 39 project, located in the City of Vaughan, is currently
the largest Energy Star community under development in Ontario.
Facilitated by TRCA, this project has been supported by the
developer, the builders, the gas and electric utilities, the City of
Vaughan and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
Block 39 will be a local example of the sustainable technologies that
The Living City Campus at Kortright will be demonstrating.
Green building partnerships
Toronto and Region Conservation has formed a partnership with two
green building councils, the Canada Green Building Council – Greater
Toronto Chapter (CaGBC-GTC) and the World Green Building
Council (WGBC). In both cases, TRCA assists in programming and
operations. In May, 2007, TRCA won the bid to host the World Green
Building Council secretariat in the Earth Rangers building at The
Living City Campus at Kortright.
Greening our own operations
Toronto and Region Conservation has incorporated sustainable thinking and values into its own buildings, lands,
operations and programs since 1957. Points of pride for the organization are the Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification of the Restoration Service Centre and the fact that the building
uses 100 per cent green energy. The Kortright Centre, which is at the heart of The Living City Campus, is another
TRCA facility that uses 100 per cent green energy.
Modelling sustainability—The Living City Campus
at Kortright
The Living City Campus at Kortright offers a model for sustainable
design and practices. As a Centre of Excellence, it has the potential
to be a global centre of research and development in climate change
adaptation and mitigation within urban environments.
Community transformation
Several programs dealing with greening retail, health care and municipal facilities are underway. One such program,
the Mayor’s Megawatt Challenge, has already achieved a total energy savings of two per cent. This energy savings
has resulted in the reduction of 1,500 tonnes of GHG emissions since 2003.
Education and outreach
Toronto and Region Conservation has been a partner in the Ontario EcoSchools program since 2002 and is the first
conservation authority, and Black Creek Pioneer Village the first museum, to achieve Ontario EcoSchools certification.
The PowerStream Energy Education Pilot Project aims to generate immediate and long-term energy savings through
behaviour change and actions in schools, the community and private homes. Carbon Footprint Calculators are being
developed with municipal partners. With this information in-hand, people will be given options for reducing their
personal carbon contributions to the environment.
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Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change
| TRCA Action Plan for The Living City
16
Table 3: TRCA’s actions to address climate change
ADAPTATION
COMMON
• Flood protection and early warning
systems (flood forecasting and
warning program)
• Green energy procurement (20 per
cent from Bullfrog Power)
• The Living City Campus
• Flood management; protection of
flood vulnerable areas
• Spatial and temporal monitoring
(Regional Watershed Monitoring
Program)
• Diverse aquatic system (fisheries
management plans)
• Watershed modeling and adaptive
management (Rouge and Humber)
• Water balance modeling
• Innovative stormwater
management approach
• Erosion and remedial works
• Species recovery plans• Greenspace
acquisition
MITIGATION
• Public education and awareness
onconservation (Ontario
EcoSchools and Watershed on
Wheels programs)
• The Living City partnerships (World
Green Building Council and Canada
Green Building Council)
• Community transformation programs
(Greening Retail and Renewable
Energy Program)
• Curriculum-linked education
programs on climate change
(Climate Calamity and Whether the
Weather)
• LEED Platinum-certified
infrastructure (Restoration Services
Centre)
• Urban Tree Canopy
• Pearson Eco Business Zone (water,
waste and energy efficiencies
with industrial commercial and
institutional (ICI) sector)
• Urban agriculture
• Sustainable Technologies
Evaluation Program (STEP)
• Adaptive design – Lake Ontario
shoreline (functional design for flood
protection)
• Natural resource management/
restoration techniques to improve
hydrology
• Green Fleet Program
• The Living City Zerofootprint
Calculator
• Sustainable Management Systems
(SMS) (carbon zero operations)
• Infrastructure and assets energy
management
5.0 TRCA’S CLIMATE ACTION PLAN: FRAMEWORK
To determine how best to lead our partners and communities against climate change, TRCA has developed Meeting
the Challenge of Climate Change: TRCA Action Plan for The Living City, the intent of which is to integrate the concepts
of climate change including the need to define both adaptation and mitigation opportunities into all business areas of
TRCA. The premise for our current climate planning is based on our history in adaptive management, our strategic
plan direction and our recent work on climate change mitigation. A set of guiding principles have informed this work:
5.1 Guiding principles: Identifying priorities within a risk and vulnerability framework
a) Increase TRCA’s internal capacity and share that expertise with our municipalities to deal with climate change impacts.
b) Increase staff (internal) and public (external) awareness of climate change and its potential impacts.
c) Include climate considerations and information into planning and policy decisions.
d) Increase the adaptive capacity of watersheds (natural environment and built infrastructure) and their human communities.
e) Strengthen existing partnerships and create new ones to accelerate the application of mitigation technologies and programs.
Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change
| TRCA Action Plan for The Living City
5.2 Process
Knowledge share and information exchange: Forums and workshops
Over the past decade, TRCA has made a concerted effort to bring together stakeholders from government and other
agencies to stay updated on climate impacts and to share information on new programs and strategies that deal with
mitigation and adaptation. A series of climate change forums have been hosted since 1999 to broaden awareness
about the need to identify and develop appropriate adaptive management techniques to deal with climate impacts in
TRCA’s jurisdiction.
Literature/information review
The first step was to undertake a thorough review of the existing climate information and current weather trends
on the global, national and local scale to better understand the state of the science of climate change and possible
impacts on TRCA’s jurisdiction. This information was used to present the climate sensitivities expected to impact the
jurisdiction of TRCA.
Framework
The next step was to develop a framework from which to explore TRCA’s vulnerabilities to climate change. The
framework included the creation of a Climate Strategy Working Group composed of key managers (called ‘primary
contacts’) representing all business service areas of TRCA. The task of the committee was to agree upon a final
framework, then move forward with a business analysis, within the climate change context, of all TRCA’s business
service areas.
Business area analysis
Toronto and Region Conservations’ existing (2003–2007) Business Plan framework was used to undertake the
business analysis. Divisional representatives met with members of their business service area to answer the four key
questions:
a) Key assumptions and vulnerabilities – Understanding climate risks to the service areas of TRCA.
Question: What does climate change mean for the products and services in your business area?
b) TRCA climate preparedness – Determine TRCA’s climate preparedness by evaluating current programs and
initiatives that address climate change.
Question: What are you doing now?
c) Key internal and external gaps – Identify the gaps in knowledge, policy and programming in order to
understand how we can improve our climate preparedness.
Question: What are the gaps?
d) Priority actions moving forward based on assumptions and gaps – Prioritize steps moving forward to
maximize our ability to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change.
Question: What are your recommendations?
Following the amalgamation of this information and the identification of key recommendations (see Appendix A), the
second step was to create an action plan that embraces the key priorities and echoes the vision of The Living City.
These priorities were then integrated into the 2007 Business Plan.
17
Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change
Figure 6:
| TRCA Action Plan for The Living City
TRCA’s climate action plan: Process
PROCESS
Knowledge Share and
Information Exchange
Literature/Information Review
Forums and Workshops
Climate Science
Current Weather Trends
CAO’s Office
Climate Change Strategy
Framework
Climate Stratagy Working Group (Business Service Areas
Environmental Science; Conservation Lands; Development
Services and Regulations; Environmental Regeneration;
Waterfronts, Watersheds and Oac Ridges Moraine;
Conservation Parks; Education; Corporate Services;
Living City Partnerships
Risk and Vulnerability Analysis
Review and Final Analysis
Business Analysis
• Key Assumptions and Gaps
• TRCA Climate Preparedness
• Key Internal and External Gaps
• Priority Actions Moving Forward
Meeting the Challange of
Climate Change:
TRCA
Action Plan for The Living City
Internal and External
Communication Plan
6.0 TRCA’S CLIMATE ACTION PLAN: GAP ANALYSIS
Identification of key internal and external gaps was an important step in TRCA’s climate planning exercise. Gaps that
may impact the effective and timely development and implementation of adaptation and mitigation actions within
our jurisdiction have been highlighted below. Toronto and Region Conservation intends to work with our municipal
partners, Conservation Ontario and other government agencies to address these gaps as an important strategic priority.
6.1 Knowledge and understanding of climate impacts
The current temporal and spatial scale of climate models and other predictive tools fall well short of most local needs
to allow local decision-makers to integrate appropriate information in their operation and decision-making process.
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Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change
| TRCA Action Plan for The Living City
19
Moreover, quantitative analysis of existing programs and restoration efforts to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of
climate change needs to be developed. And, the effect climate change will have on potable water supply, e.g., in
the context of the Clean Water Act, Drinking Water Source Protection Act and the Remedial Action Plan should be
explored further.
6.2 Policy and design standards
There is a need for updated provincial policies and guidelines to deal with aging and inadequate municipal stormwater
infrastructure in the GTA. Also, a review and update of the Municipal Act, Planning Act and Conservation Authorities
Act needs to be undertaken to incorporate innovative stormwater applications, low impact design, energy conservation
and renewable energy applications. Similarly, green development standards and energy planning should be
considered as a key criterion for all future growth and intensities within the Provincial Growth Management Plan.
6.3 Monitoring and long-term data collection for local trends
Toronto and Region Conservation’s Regional Monitoring Program has been collecting data and monitoring trends
within our jurisdiction. To understand climate impacts terrestrial and aquatic systems, in future, the scope of the
programs must be expanded. This will require additional resources and funding support.
6.4 Inter-agency coordination
Toronto and Region Conservation proposes a coordinated effort through GTA wide Municipal Action Groups and
Centre of Excellence for Research and Development in climate mitigation and adaptation.
6.5 Funding
Funding support from TRCA’s municipal partners and senior levels of government will be critical to undertake actions
and address gaps highlighted in Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change: TRCA Action Plan for The Living City.
Toronto and Region Conservation must invest adaptive business models to generate long-term, sustainable revenue.
Some suggestions are provided under the Recommendations section of this report.
7.0 TRCA’S CLIMATE ACTION PLAN: KEY PRIORITY ACTIONS
In order to exemplify leadership and support our communities and partners in dealing with climate change, we must
remain proactive and constantly strive to learn more about how we can mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate
change.
Listed below are our ‘key priorities’ that not only help TRCA achieve its business plan objectives but also bolster our
ability to support our communities and municipal partners in dealing with climate change.
7.1 Adaptation
7.1.1 Increasing our knowledge and understanding
To develop a greater understanding of local climate change impacts and vulnerability in watersheds, TRCA will:
a) Work with Environment Canada and municipal partners on future climate predictions for TRCA’s jurisdiction to
enable climate impact assessment on a local scale;
Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change
| TRCA Action Plan for The Living City
20
b) Assess state-of-the-art climate change adaptation and watershed management in Ontario in partnership with the
Ontario Centre of Excellence and develop information-sharing partnerships with experts (e.g., government, nongovernment and academics);
c) Strengthen the scope of STEP to include green building technologies; and,
d) Conduct research and technology sharing information sessions to inform partner municipalities of new research,
best practices and tools.
7.1.2 Reducing risk to communities
To assist partner municipalities and communities to reduce threats to life and property as a result of flooding and
erosion, reduce urban heat island effects and improve air quality, TRCA will:
a) Continue to work with Conservation Ontario and Environment Canada to develop regional Intensity Duration
Frequency (IDF) curves and protocols to integrate climate change into water-related infrastructure design
practices;
b) Continue to work with Conservation Ontario, the province and municipalities to review urban flooding issues and
define direction of future needs;
c) Manage conservation areas such as Bruce’s Mill Conservation Area, Petticoat Creek Conservation Area, Heart
Lake Conservation Area and Kortright Centre as summer heat escape locations with increased distribution of
cooling/misting stations;
d) Work with Metrolinx to increase public accessibility to conservation areas during the summer months;
e) Retrofit waterfront parks with designs for fluctuating water levels (shoreline protection and habitat) and shade for
park visitors;
e) Acquire and enhance approximately 4,000 hectares of greenspace with a projected purchase expense of
approximately $ 22.5 million for the objective of improving air quality, community health and biodiversity; and,
f) Update the Valley and Stream Corridor Management Program and Greenlands Acquisition Program, create new
sustainable communities policies and a policy for sustainable near-urban agriculture on TRCA lands to address
gaps in current policies, incorporate new science related to climate change and promote local food production.
7.1.3 Building a resilient natural system in the GTA
It is recognized that biodiversity of terrestrial and aquatic systems is the foundation for climate change resilience and
adaptation. To ensure this, TRCA will:
a) Augment existing forest cover on TRCA lands, valley corridors and table lands identified as potential natural
cover in the Terrestrial Natural Heritage Strategy (TNHS);
b) Develop species recovery plans to increase robustness of land base and establish species recovery areas within
the TNHS, incorporating a monitoring and reporting plan; and,
c) Expand the scope of the Regional Monitoring Program (RMN) to assess spatial and temporal changes to
terrestrial and aquatic systems resulting from climate change impacts.
Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change
| TRCA Action Plan for The Living City
21
7.2 Mitigation
7.2.1 Promoting a culture of conservation through market transformation
To achieve a 60 per cent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050, the areas where Canadians can have the greatest
impact will be in energy efficiency, conservation and urban form (NRTEE, 2006). To help reduce the carbon footprint of
the GTA, TRCA will:
a) Establish North America’s largest (12,000 hectare) Eco-Business Zone near Pearson International Airport to
improve the financial and environmental performance of industrial commercial and institutional (ICI) sector
industries through energy, waste and water efficiencies, and synergies between companies;
b) Develop education and outreach programs that enrich and prepare students and education professionals with
the knowledge, skills, perspectives and practices needed in order to respond to climate change; and,
c) Work with the Canada Green Building Council–Greater Toronto Chapter, World Green Building Council, the
development industry and municipal partners to build on existing sustainable community development initiatives
and support the growth of environmentally friendly urban development.
7.2.2 Greening our own operations
To reduce TRCA’s total carbon footprint (carbon inputs and outputs), TRCA will:
a) Develop and implement a corporate asset, energy and waste management plan;
b) Set ongoing targets for energy and GHG emission reductions (TRCA will aim for 30 per cent reduction below
baseline in 10 years);
c) Implement TRCA buildings and facilities retrofits with the aim of having all TRCA buildings and facilities LEED
certified within 20 years;
d) Develop and implement a corporate local food policy/guideline, incorporating food lifecycle and intended use;
aim for 80 per cent waste reduction at education centres within the next 10 years;
e) Achieve Platinum Energy Environment Excellence (E3) Fleet status for all TRCA fleet vehicles within the next
five years; and,
f) Incorporate zero carbon principles into all TRCA activities, aiming for a 10 per cent reduction every two years.
7.2.3 Leadership through partnership
TRCA will:
a) Partner with universities, World Green Building Council, Building Industry & Land Development (BILD)
Association, municipalities and other local governments to accelerate the work of establishing an Ontario Centre
for Municipal Action on Climate Change—a provincial centre for research and development in climate change
adaptation and mitigation with a global reputation.
Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change
| TRCA Action Plan for The Living City
22
8.0 MEASURING OUR PROGRESS AND PERFORMANCE
8.1 Measuring our progress
In order to measure and evaluate progress, TRCA will:
a) Establish a baseline for future reporting on key areas of climate impacts within the jurisdiction through a
Regional Living City Report Card;
b) At the community level, measure public awareness, growth in green economic activities, and policy and
planning decisions by partner agencies to determine progress in meeting the climate change challenge;
c) Review TRCA’s climate action plan annually with respect to the implementation of priority actions. Major updates
will be undertaken every five years in conjunction with the TRCA business plan.
8.2 Measuring our performance
To demonstrate progress on Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change: TRCA Action Plan for The Living City and
to evaluate and refine our actions, we will review our basic assumptions on a regular basis. Our progress will be
measured on four levels:
a) Impact on community awareness – Has the community awareness of our priority planning areas increased and
has our community and partner support increased? We propose to do this in two ways; a) quantitative analysis
through web surveys; and b) qualitative analysis of whether climate change information is being integrated by
our partner agencies and municipalities in major policy and planning decisions.
b) TRCA and partner capacity – Has TRCA increased the technical capacity of our municipal partners,
development community and others stakeholders to prepare for climate change? This will be done through
increased technical expertise and tools both within the organization and through partnerships with federal or
provincial climate science experts, technology sharing forums and expert groups.
c) Adaptative capacity of TRCA assets and human communities – Have our actions increased the adaptative
capacity of our built infrastructure, natural systems and our human communities? This will be measured by
making an assessment of extreme weather events and/or other emergencies; assessing monetary savings due
to TRCA flood hazard management and/or monitoring of aquatic and terrestrial systems.
d) Effective partnerships – How many and how successful have our new partnerships been in promoting and
implementing energy efficiency, carbon reduction, waste and water-efficiency initiatives? These partnerships will
be developed at all levels; municipalities, business/industrial community and government.
9.0 COMMUNICATING OUR MESSAGE
Broad awareness will help generate support for climate change initiatives and draw other like-minded individuals and
organizations to TRCA for collaboration. Building awareness at this level will likely involve the inclusion of climate
change in high-level messaging about TRCA (e.g., it is integral to what it does), web-based engagement of people
concerned with climate change, and a media relations campaign that places TRCA in a leadership position on the issue.
Toronto and Region Conservation’s marketing and communications departmemt will integrate the broad-based
awareness campaign into the overall corporate communication program for TRCA, and balance it with all key
corporate awareness requirements. It will develop individual campaigns in support of action items following a needs
Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change
| TRCA Action Plan for The Living City
assessment among the action items for communications support. Communication initiatives will be integrated into the
implementation phase of this action plan.
10.0 MOVING AHEAD WITH IMPLEMENTATION
Partnership with government agencies, TRCA’s watershed municipalities and the private sector will be critical in
achieving our jurisdiction-wide priorities. While TRCA will continue to undertake steps to reduce climate impacts
within its own operations, we must support our partners in understanding local climate impacts. Moving forward with
implementation, TRCA will:
a) Finalize and publish the executive summary of Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change: TRCA Action Plan for
The Living City, April 2008.
b) Circulate the report to Conservation Ontario, the City of Toronto and the regional municipalities of Durham, Peel
and York, and other levels of government.
c) Undertake a staff training program and invite municipal staff to attend where possible.
d) Continue to work with the province, Conservation Ontario and municipalities to complete ongoing projects.
e) Develop new partnerships and explore self-sustaining revenue-generating opportunities to leverage existing
municipal levies to ensure the long-term viability of projects highlighted in the climate action plan;
f) Initiate dialogue towards establishing an Ontario Centre for Municipal Action on Climate Change at The Living
City Campus;
g) Continue to assist the City of Toronto with the implementation of recommendations set out in the City of Toronto
report Climate Change, Clean Air and Sustainable Energy Action Plan: Moving from Framework to Action;
h) Continue to work with the Regional Municipality of Peel to develop a climate mitigation and adaptation plan as
identified in the Toronto and Region Conservation–Credit Valley Conservation (CVC)-Region of Peel Service
Strategy Business Plan; and,
i) Initiate discussions with the regional municipalities of Durham and York to determine what assistance, as
appropriate, TRCA can provide in developing their own region-specific climate change mitigation and adaptation
priorities.
Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change: TRCA Action Plan for The Living City is a ‘living’ document. We will aim
to revisit it every year to ensure its effectiveness and progress on implementation of priority actions. Major updates
will be undertaken every five years, along with TRCA’s business plan.
23
Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change
| TRCA Action Plan for The Living City
24
11.0 APPENDIX: TRCA’S CLIMATE PLAN: RECOMMENDATIONS
Note: [M] = Mitigation, [A] = Adaptation, [R] = Research
Environmental
Science
Sustainable communities
Healthy Rivers and Shorelines
Regional Biodiversity
• Increase monitoring breadth
beyond base RMN to
build our understanding
of how our watersheds
are responding to climate
change. [R]
• Research state-of-theart in incorporating
climate change into flood
forecasting, warning and
control programs, and
conduct a comprehensive
review of TRCA’s programs
to assess vulnerabilities to
climate change [R,A]
• Complete species
re-covery planning
to driect restoration
efforts [R]
• Establish information sharing
networks with relevant
agencies and academic/
research institutions
to maintain up-to-date
knowledge on climate
change predictions and
adaptation science [R]
Conservation
Lands
• Enhance the tree canopy
in parks to provide for
shade and improved carbon
sequestration function [A,M]
• Review Probable Maximum
Rainfall in context of climate
change predictions to determine if dams meet acceptable standards for protection
of overtopping [A]
• Maintain water conditions in
kettle lakes and wetlands to
promote health of native fish
species [A]
• Research alternative trail
designs and construction
techniques for variable
climate resistance [R]
• Provide cooling facilities as
an alternative to swimming
when water quality is poor [A]
• Incorporate climate
change adaptation and
mitigation into the mandates
of conservation land
stewardship groups
• Audit TRCA lands for
alternate uses, including an
environmental and economic
evaluation, and develop a
land use strategy based on
results [R, M, A]
Development
Services and
Regulations
• Update plan review
Memorandums of
Understanding with
municipalities to incorporate
climate change and
sustainability [M,A]
• Incorporate climate change
into the current policy
review and update to the
Valley & Stream Corridor
Management Program [A]
• Conduct a technical
assessment of the potential
climate change-related
flood risks associated
with the development
potential of the Places to
Grow “white belt lands”,
Urban Growth Centres
and associated impacts to
downstream communities
and developments [R,A]
(11.0 Appendix: TRCA’s Climate Plan: Recommendations continued on page 25)
Business Excellence
• Collect data
on spatial and
temporal changes
to the terrestrial
and aquatic system
resulting from
climate change,
and re-plan
accordingly [R,A]
• Revise criteria
that TRCA uses
for acquisitions
to reflect the
environmental need
the land is planed
to serve [M, A]
• Integrate a flexible
approach to potential
effects of climate
change in management,
master and trail plans
[M, A]
• Retrofit TRCA rental
properties for cooling
and energy efficiency,
and provide alternative
potable water sources
[A,M]
Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change
| TRCA Action Plan for The Living City
25
(Appendix: TRCA’s Climate Plan: Recommendations continued from page 24)
Note: [M] = Mitigation, [A] = Adaptation, [R] = Research
Environmental
Regeneration
Sustainable communities
Healthy Rivers and Shorelines
• Assess availability of
sustainable or irrigation
techniques and water supply
[M,A]
• Conduct a listing of priority
infrastructure repair [R,A]
• Quantify restoration work in
carbon credit units
• Evaluate the effectiveness of
riparian planting and wetland
development it the context of
climate variability [R,A]
Regional Biodiversity
Business Excellence
• Implement Agricultural
Best Management
Practices on our lands,
demonstrate to farmers
how they can adapt to
climate change [A]
• Identify the barriers
individuals/community are
facing when it comes to
adapting to climate change
[R,A]
Waterfronts,
Watersheds
and Oak
Ridges
Moraine
• Develop market
transformation plans to
mitigate effects of climate
change on watersheds,
e.g. ICI transformation for
energy, water and waste
synergies, community
design, urban agriculture
[R,A]
• Through the proposed
Living City Report Card,
create a process to establish
a baseline for future
reporting on key areas of
climate impacts within our
jurisdiction [A]
• Expand the Living City
Zerofootprint carbon
calculator across TRCA’s
jurisdiction [R,A]
• Integrate climate change
science into Source
Protection Plans [A]
• Work with partner municipalities to increase the existing
urban tree canopy [A]
Conservation
Parks
• Provide indoor programming
and recreation options as
part of management and
master plans [A]
• Identify target audiences
that could benefit from our
sustainable expertise [R]
• Implement cooling or shade
stations [A]
• Produce climate change
health and safety brochure
[A]
• Introduce programs around
local farming and urban agriculture [M,A]
• Inreach and Outreach:
Engage municipal
staff, politicians and
community to push the
envelope for integrating
climate mitigation and
adaptation actions
through watershed /
waterfront planning and
management programs
[M,A]
• Incorporate zero carbon
principles. Ensure
our community based
watershed groups
become a model for
climate mitigation
through their own work.
Aim for efficiency in the
costs of operations and
delivery of services,
develop baseline and
aim for a 10% reduction
every 2 years [M,A]
• Conduct a full audit on
infrastructure, including
needs and function, energy and water efficiency, and appropriateness
of new communication
technologies [M,A]
• Conduct a full audit on
operations, including
vehicle use, vehicle appropriateness and fuel
efficiency [R]
• Conduct market research with respect to
visitor expectations and
Climate change [R]
• Implement a purchase
local only policy [M]
(11.0 Appendix: TRCA’s Climate Plan: Recommendations continued on page 26)
Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change
| TRCA Action Plan for The Living City
(Appendix: TRCA’s Climate Plan: Recommendations continued from page 25)
Sustainable communities
Education
Healthy Rivers and Shorelines
26
Note: [M] = Mitigation, [A] = Adaptation, [R] = Research
Regional Biodiversity
Business Excellence
• Review and assess current
education programming,
develop and deliver
workshops for the general
public with resources and
tools related to climate
change [R,M,A]
• Develop purchasing
policies and
implementation strategy
relating to food that
address energy, waste
and economic priorities
[R,M,A]
• Develop and implement an
Ontario Teacher Summer
Institute program for urban
sustainability, highlighting
green buildings and
sustainable development at
a regional and community
scale [R,M,A]
• Annually review health
and safety policies for
equipment and training
to ensure relevancy and
currency with climate
change/weather issues
[R,A]
• Commit to Toronto RCE for
education programming [R,M,A]
Corporate
Services
• Develop a plan to achieve
30% of TRCA’s electricity needs from green
energy sources by 2010
• Develop a TRCA Energy
Management Plan creating master plans and
schedules for retrofit
or renovations with the
aim of having all TRCA
assets LEED certified
within 20 years [R,A,M]
• Initiate planning for a
central state-of-the-art
(LEED Complete) head
office building to replace
decentralized offices
[R,A,M]
• Develop a unified strategy for public information
and education with resources and tools related
to climate change[M,A]
Living City
Partnerships
• Adopt Canadian Green
Buildings Council’s new
LEED Complete strategy to
address the issue of building
life cycle analysis [M,A]
• Move ahead with ‘A Green
Building Advancement
Strategy for Ontario’ [R,M]
• Adopt the Living Building
Challenge and strive to have
new construction projects
meet these targets in the
near future for case study
and monitoring purposes
[R,M,A]
• Strengthen the green building
portion of the STEP website
and begin monitoring and
evaluating new green building technologies to provide
verification to the industry [R]
• Adopt and implement a
net-zero energy plan for
the Living City Campus
[M,A]
Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change
| TRCA Action Plan for The Living City
27
12.0 REFERENCES
CAP (Clean Air Partnership). 2007. Cities Preparing for Climate Change: A Study of Six Urban Regions. Clean Air Partnership.
http://adaptation.nrcan.gc.ca/projdb/pdf/171e_e.pdf
Cheng, C.S., H. Auld, G. Li, J. Klaassen, and Q. Li. 2007. Possible impacts of climate change on freezing rain in south-central
Canada using downscaled future climate scenarios. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 7, 71-87.
EC (Environment Canada). 2004. Understanding Climate Change: The Science, Impacts and Actions to be Taken.
Presented to the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority by Joan Klaassen.
EC (Environment Canada). 2005a. An Introduction to Climate Change: A Canadian Perspective. Environment Canada.
http://www.msc-mc.ec.gc.ca/education/scienceofclimatechange/understanding/icc/icc_e.pdf
EC (Environment Canada). 2005b. Historical heat-related events. Environment Canada.
http://www.ontario.hazards.ca/historical/Heat_Ontario-e.html
EC (Environment Canada). 2007. Canada’s top ten weather stories for 2007. Environment Canada.
http://www.environment-canada.ca/doc/smc/m_110/toc_eng.html
EEO (Energy Efficiency Office). 2007. Energy Efficiency and Beyond: Toronto’s Sustainable Energy Plan – Staff Background
Report. Energy Efficiency Office, Business & Strategic Innovation, Facilities & Real Estate Division, City of Toronto.
Hunt, S., J. Newman, and G. Otis. 2006. Threats and impacts of exotic pests under climate change: Implications for Canada’s
forest systems and carbon stocks. BIOCAP Canada. http://www.biocap.ca/rif/report/Hunt_S.pdf
IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change) 2007. Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis, Summary for Policy
Makers. International Panel on Climate Change. http://ipcc-wg1.ucar.edu/wg1/Report/AR4WG1_Pub_SPM-v2.pdf
Kling, G.W., K. Hayhoe, L.B. Johnson, J.J Magnuson, S. Polasky, S.K. Robinson, B.J. Shuter, M.M. Wander, D.J. Wuebeles, D.R.
Zak, R.L. Lindroth, S.C. Moser, and M.L. Wilson. 2003. Confronting Climate Change in the Great Lakes Region: Impacts
on Our Communities and Ecosystems. Union of Concerned Scientists, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Ecological Society
of America, Washington, D.C.
MNR (Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources). 2007a. Climate Change Projections for Ontario: Practical Information for
Policymakers and Planners. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.
MNR (Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources). 2007b. Geological Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide:
A Technology Review and Analysis of Opportunities in Ontario. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.
MOE (Ministry of the Environment, Ontario). 2007.
http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/en/air/climatechange/index.php
NRCan (Natural Resources Canada). 2004. Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation:
A Canadian Perspective. Natural Resources Canada. http://adaptation.nrcan.gc.ca/perspective_e.asp
NRCan (Natural Resources Canada). 2006. Coastal Zones and Climate Change on the Great Lakes: Final Report. Natural
Resources Canada, Climate Change Action Fund. http://adaptation.nrcan.gc.ca/projdb/pdf/coastal1_e.pdf
NRCan (Natural Resources Canada). 2008. From Impacts to Adaptation: Canada in a Changing Climate.
Natural Resources Canada.http://adaptation.nrcan.gc.ca/assess/2007/pdf/full-complet_e.pdf
NRTEE (National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy). 2006.
Advice on a Long-terms Strategy on Energy and Climate Change. Government of Canada.
Pembina. 2006. A quick-start energy-efficiency strategy for Ontario.
The Pembina Institute, Roger Peters, Stephen Hall and Mark Winfield.
TRCA (Toronto and Region Conservation Authority). 2006. Moving Toward the Living City: Strategic Plan Summary. Toronto and
Region Conservation Authority.
http://www.trca.on.ca/Website/TRCA/Website.nsf/WebPage/TRCAStrategicPlanSummary?OpenDocument&ppos=&spos=&rsn=
Toronto and Region Conservation programs are funded in part by
contributions from the City of Toronto, Region of Durham, Region of Peel,
and Region of York.
The Region of Peel has significantly increased its investment in TRCA’s
regional climate change initiatives in recent years.
To learn more, please visit:
http://www.trca.on.ca/ClimateChange
or email: [email protected]
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