The City of Toronto has released its 2016 inventory on community-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The inventory indicates that GHG emissions in Toronto were 33 per cent lower in 2016 than in 1990, which puts the city half-way towards its 2030 GHG reduction target of 65 per cent.

In 2016, 45 per cent of GHG emissions came from buildings, primarily from burning natural gas to heat indoor spaces and water.

“Toronto is a recognized leader in tackling climate change and we continue to innovate to reduce emissions and improve the quality of life for residents,” said Mayor John Tory from the City of Toronto. “This latest inventory shows we’re on track. We’ll build on this momentum through the TransformTO Climate Action Strategy to transform how we live, build, and travel to meet our long-term targets.”

A greenhouse gas emissions inventory measures the emissions in a given region using data from energy use in buildings, vehicles, waste, and industry. The city shares its inventory data annually via the C40 Cities network and follows the Greenhouse Gas Protocol for community-scale GHG emission inventories.

“The City of Toronto takes evidence-based action to tackle climate change, and annual GHG inventories are critical to our ability to understand whether climate action efforts are working,” said Jim Baxter, director of environment and energy with the City of Toronto.  “The most recent inventory shows our efforts are working, but that much more needs to be done to reach city council’s GHG reduction goals.”

Reporting annually on community-wide GHG emissions is part of the city’s commitment to transparency and accountability to address climate change, and to inform the development of its climate strategy and policy.

While inventories are released annually, it takes 18 to 24 months for data collection and verification, creating a two-year gap prior to a municipal inventory release.

A full dashboard of Toronto’s 2016 GHG emissions inventory is available on the C40 Cities website. C40 Cities is a network of the world’s megacities committed to addressing climate change.

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