Greening Greater Toronto

• About Us
  • Our Team
  • Message from the Co-chairs
  • Task Force
  • Leadership Council
  • Contact Us
• GGT Initiatives
  • Greening Canada Fund
  • Green Procurement
  • Commercial Building Energy
  • Education and Demonstration
• In The News
  • Press Releases
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• Our Partners
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Message from the Co-Chairs

In 2008, Greening Greater Toronto set an ambitious goal: to make the GTA the greenest city region in North America. We identified four key areas of opportunity against five environmental measures and enlisted partners from the private, non-profit and public sectors as well as academia to effect broad environmental change across the GTA.

The human benefits of a green GTA – higher quality of life, healthier workplaces, improved health and a reduced environmental footprint – are undisputable. But a green GTA is also good for business. Advanced leadership and development in green innovation, green technology, green procurement, commercial building energy efficiency, waste management and carbon offset funds are all examples of where the GTA can be a global leader. And, a green GTA would put Toronto on the world map as a leader in the fight against climate change.

We are at the forefront of the movement to green our city region. While many of the ingredients to “go green” exist in the GTA, we are working with our partners to lead a coordinated effort across sectors to achieve our goal.

• The Commercial Building Energy Initiative brings together commercial building owners, landlords and tenants to overcome barriers, identify strategies and develop processes to promote commercial building energy efficiency measures in the GTA.
• The Green Procurement Initiative will facilitate the adoption of green procurement practices and increase the sustainability of corporate, institutional and governmental procurement practices in the GTA. This includes the purchase of greener products and services, as well as demand reduction and behaviour targeting.
• The Greening Canada Fund is the first voluntary carbon emissions reduction fund of its kind, aimed exclusively at large Canadian corporations. The Fund will purchase carbon offset credits from green projects across Canada, creating green jobs and supporting green technologies nationally.

We are encouraged by the enthusiasm of GTA residents, businesses and organizations who make small adjustments that will collectively make a big difference. This enthusiasm is reflected in a number of recent policy initiatives including Ontario’s Green Energy Act and Toronto’s Energy Action Plan. We are excited to see these changes taking place in the GTA and are confident that this will provide the momentum needed to inspire real change in our city region.

Through the dedication of our team and the generous contributions of our many partners, Greening Greater Toronto has the resources and drive to develop effective strategies to make a difference. We thank everyone for their support and look forward to living in the greenest city region in North America.

Sincerely,