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“Fossil fuel companies have a well-documented history of using their immense wealth for advocacy advertising to undermine public support for policies that reduce fossil fuel pollution. Such policies are necessary and urgent to preserve a liveable future for today’s young people. The Pathways Alliance, a coalition of six billionaire fossil fuel companies who produce 95% of tar sands bitumen, has actively advertised for this purpose in Toronto, eliciting a number of public complaints. Another fossil fuel lobby group, Canada Action, has also actively advertised across Canada.”

“The Portlands Energy Centre is a 550 megawatt fossil natural gas electricity generating station located in the Port Lands. In September 2023, proposed upgrades to the facility were announced, which would expand its electricity generating capacity by 50 megawatts.”

In May 2023, “City Council adopted “A Clean Energy Future for Toronto” which expressed City Council’s objection to any increase in the burning of fossil fuels in the City. Spurred on by a Provincial proposal to increase emissions at the Portlands Energy Centre, this Item underlined the commitment of the City to its climate goals. The Provincial Government then announced that their interpretation was that the increased emissions from the Portlands Energy Centre would not be subject to the requirement to obtain municipal consent.”

“Continued ambitious climate actions and programs will be critical to reaching the City’s 2025 target of 45 per cent GHG emissions reduction from 1990 levels. Further, these efforts must be scaled up to reach Toronto’s community-wide future targets of a 65 per cent reduction by 2030 and net zero by 2040.”

“The climate crisis grows more urgent every year. The window to make significant and lasting change is disappearing. Action must happen immediately and it must be at the necessary scale required to respond to this crisis.” In response, the Net Zero Strategy triggers new and accelerated implementation actions to drive down community-wide emissions, particularly in the short term, and establishes the trajectory needed to reach net zero by 2040.

“Urgent action is needed to establish a robust network of electric vehicle charging stations; and to achieve carbon-neutral targets by 2050, Canada Post must greatly accelerate the electrification of its fleet. This will help continue to push Toronto toward its goal to eliminate GHG emissions.”

“Hundreds of governments around the world and major cities across Canada have recognized the urgency of the climate threat by declaring a climate emergency. It is time for Toronto to do the same and to take bolder action to meet our goals of reducing emissions and building a City that is greener, healthier and resilient.”