Summary
The action-oriented road map dives into the challenges of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) and identifies four key areas where the federal, provincial and municipal governments can more effectively coordinate with utilities and the private sector to:
- Better support fleet transitions
- Build the necessary charging infrastructure to support mass EV adoption
- Increase our clean electricity generation capacity
- Build the infrastructure needed to support hydrogen and renewable natural gas vehicles
Transportation currently produces 35 per cent of the Toronto Region’s emissions and 25 per cent of Canada’s emissions. With Ontario recently securing record investments in electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing, ambitious new federal sales mandates for ZEVs and the Ontario government’s just-released Hydrogen Strategy, the Toronto Region is poised to become a global leader in ZEV adoption.
To maximize this opportunity, our Region needs improved coordination and infrastructure to match the scale of recent ZEV developments. The Toronto Region is ideally positioned to lead the global green transition. Its abundant sources of clean electricity and a booming auto manufacturing sector that is already shifting to EV production, are merely two examples of the Region’s potential in this area.
Climate action, and the green transition, are not merely an environmental or social issue – it’s a critical economic issue. This belief is reflected in strong climate positions being taken in our policy reports, and our recent formation of the Climate Economy Strategic Council. The Council’s mandate is to establish a framework to position the Toronto Region and its businesses as climate champions.
