Smog Summit 2009

The 10th Smog Summit took place on June 3rd, 2009 at Toronto City Hall Council Chambers. The Smog Summit highlighted clean air and climate change actions being undertaken across the GTA and Hamilton. The 2009 Smog Summit was followed by a Best Practices Exchange on the theme of ReDevelopment – Actions and Plans aimed at enhancing quality of life via economic growth that is based on the renewal of our natural, built and socioeconomic assets.

June 3rd, 2009
Smog Summit and Best Practices Exchange Proceedings

• Toronto City Hall to be a showcase of environmental sustainability (Deep Water cooling, Bull Frog Power, green roof).
• City Council phasing out the use of polluting small equipment such as lawn mowers within the corporation and creating incentives for residents.
• Council has just approved the Green Roofs Bylaw (green roofs are now required for most new buildings).
• Right to Know is being implemented and will result in easier access to information on disclosure of toxic chemical usage. 

• CAP and Trade system coming to Ontario – striving for a uniform system across Canada and in North America by the time the Copenhagen summit is held.
• Toxics Reduction law passed, 3 principles: large industries must report toxics being used in manufacturing process; public has a right to know which chemicals are in use; industry must come up with a plan of how they will reduce toxic materials (voluntary implementation).
• Stimulus packages being geared toward new green economy.
• Announcement: Ontario has joined International Carbon Architecture Program. 

• Investments in public transit to reduce GHG emissions and congestion.
• Transit funding actions across Ontario including Move Ontario 2020, GO Transit.
• Province sharing $.02/L of gas tax with municipalities for transit systems.
• Pollution reduction programs: Green Commercial Vehicle Program provides grants for businesses to buy hybrid/alternative fuel vehicle.
• Ontario Planning Act: municipalities can enforce bike paths etc. in new development plans.

• Enbridge’s many new green energy initiatives including the worlds first hybrid fuel cell plant which burns no fuel and creates no air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions and generates 2.2 MW of electricity enough to power 1,700 homes; enhanced award winning green fleet initiatives; and a 115 wind turbine project.
• Working with City of Toronto and Town of Markham to install residential solar thermal hot water heaters.
• Important to spread word of positive actions being taken to inspire others. 

• Toronto Hydro saved 500 MW via conservation initiatives since 2005, this the amount of power generated by the Portland electricity generating station;
• Started energy conservation programs include the 10/10 Program (reduce electricity by 10% and get a 10% rebate on your bill – 30% of customers qualified in the first year); window AC unit (which are very energy inefficient) exchange, 18,000 units retired in three years. These programs are now being delivered across the province by the OPA. 

• Private funders want to put money into communities that are revitalizing.
• Renewable Quotient (RQ) measures a community’s renewal potential.
• Law of ReWealth describes how communities need to go about renewing (the basis of growth primarily on the renewal of assets; stakeholder engagement and the creation of a shared vision).
• Concept of embodied energy: better to keep and refurbish old buildings than build new ones, however ‘green’ new ones are.
• The Renewal Process: 1 – visioning; 2 – culturing that attracts rewealth invesments such as Tax Increment Financing (TIF); 3 – partnering such as public private partnerships.
• Places to Invest tool will measure the Renewable Quotient of communities. 

• Smog Summit will be going through an evolution and a new and improved initiative will start in 2010.
• Article 3 of the Declaration has targets that we will report on in 2010 and includes a wide range of actions (such as green development, green energy, clean air and climate change plans, local food promotion, disposable water, urban forests, trip reduction and transportation plans that will be implemented across the GTA.  

• Completing an Environmental Policies Discussion Paper
• Constructing multi-modal corridors under the Pedestrian and Bike Master Plan  

• Building transit infrastructure, uses the E-Ride trip planner for bus routes
• Bus rapid transit with Mississauga, Vaughan and Toronto being completed in 2010 

• Phasing out bottled water, greening of fleet, Idling Bylaw
• Energy audits on all city facilities 

• Participating in Light Savers Pilot Project
• Completing an Environmental Action Report

• Established a Sustainability Office
• One of four municipalities piloting WWF Canada’s “Good Life Initiative” 

• Air quality monitoring station set up in Milton
• Propagating an education campaign to reduce energy use 

• Working for a 10% reduction of 2005 levels of air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions by 2012; 20% reduction by 2020
• Doing a greenhouse gas emissions inventory
• Established an Office of Energy Initiatives in 2007

• New 5 MW power plant displacing 17,000 tonnes of CO2 emission
• Developed a Green Development Plan – Markham 20/20
• Established the Markham Sustainability Office earlier this year
• Undertaking a solar thermal residential installation project in partnership with Enbridge.

• Strategic Plan includes two environmental pillars: transit oriented city, and living green
• Made In Mississauga green development plan in development
• Participating in LightSavers pilot project for LED street and parking lighting 

• Green purchasing policy
• First residential community in Canada being built to LEED standards  

• Implementation of Active Transportation Plan
• Sustainable purchasing and green fleet procedures  

• South Peel Water System energy savings plan  

• Won FCM sustainability and planning award
• Focusing on downtown intensification and LEED buildings  

• Strategic Plan covers renewable energy, public transit issues
• Constructing a wind powered turbine and solar thermal  

• Pedestrian and Cycling Master Plan, “Green Directions Vaughan” plan
• Plastic bottles banned from municipal buildings  

• Implementing “action items” from York Region Sustainability Strategy
• Subway extension into York Region  

• “There are many pilot green buildings (energy use and environmental considerations of the buildings themselves) and communities (taking into account land use and increasing transportation options) across the GTA-CAC jurisdictions. Name one challenge you think your jurisdiction faces in moving from pilot green buildings and communities to green buildings and green communities becoming business as usual.” 

• Lack on funding for both municipalities and private secto
• Need to create incentives for developers but also need a balance between creating incentives and minimizing losses to municipalities
• Costs borne by different folks. Developers don’t want to have their purchase price higher than a competitor and they are not the ones who pay for energy or water. Consumers need to ask for more energy conservation and green features.
• Money more readily spent on aesthetic aspects and upgrades, society still very image-based
• Lack of experience and expertise for both construction and maintenance
• Municipalities need more control under the Planning Act, ability to set their own sustainability guidelines; need the power to enforce their own initiatives
• Building Code needs stricter requirements, a timetable
• Conflict exist between the Planning Act and Building Code needs to be addressed
• What about retrofitting existing buildings? There are far more existing buildings.
• Lack of information on renewable energy systems; need for experience, best practices, lessons learned
• The points system for LEED certification is askew, gives unequal weighting to green initiatives that can have very different environmental benefits.  

2009 Best Practices Exchange  

• We must question the priority we give to the pursuit of economic growth.
• The growth we have become accustomed to is impossible over the long run.
• We need to make an energy transition away from fossil fuels, a global target of 350 PPM of carbon dioxide is desirable.
• Technology may not be able to ‘save the day’.
• Managing without growth is directed at rich countries - reducing working hours and increasing leisure time to help create full employment is one method.
• We need clear limits on energy and resource use and wastes created.
• To adapt, political, religious, financial, social institutions must change.

• York Region Sustainability Strategy has over 100 action strategies
• Subway extending into York Region as well as bus and rapid transit lines
• Proposed long-term Cycling Network has a 10 year implementation plan, includes 485 kilometres of bike lanes. 

• Mayor’s Tower Renewal project will create environmental, social, economic and cultural benefits to buildings and surrounding areas.
• There are many high rises in Toronto, city’s building stock responsible for over half of city’s greenhouse gas emissions.
• Project will improve the operating performance of the buildings through retrofits including the use of new technologies. 

Smog Summit Founding Sponsor

2009 Smog Summit Funders 

                

• Smog Summit: Less talk, More Action
• Caledon announces initiatives at Smog Summit
• Toyota Canada to Accept Clean Air Day Award at the Toronto Smog Summit
• East Gwillimbury receives Clean Air Day Award at the Smog Summit
• Smog Summit at City Hall
• Mayor Fennell Signs Clean Air Declaration
• Green Announcements Highlight Smog Summit
• 8th Annual Smog Summit: Measurable Action On Clean Air and Climate Change
• Smog Summit a fog
• Caledon takes part in Smog Summit
• Smog patrol; City officials invited on walkabout to test air Burlingtonians breathe
• Post surveys councillors about efforts to reduce air pollution
• Politicians fiddle while smog increases
• New pollution standards on the horizon, Summit told
• Federal environment minister can't be seen at Smog Summit
• Peel Announces Initiatives to Improve Air Quality
• Clearing the dirty air
• New Enbridge Gas Distribution Fund Supports Cleaner, Healthier Air
• Government leaders sign clean air declaration
• Under a Cloud
• Suburban living no real remedy to poor air quality
• Toronto and Region 2006 Intergovermental Declaration on Clean Air
• We all breathe 'total poor' air
• York Region commits to taking action on sustainability and improving air quality at the 2006 Smog Summit
• GTA residents underestimate exposure to air pollution
• 2006 Smog Summit Brochure - June 7th & 8th, 2006
• Feasibility Of Expanding The Toronto Atmospheric Fund (GTAF)
• Vehicles at Hawthorne Alternative Bilingual School are Idle-Free to Help Clean the Air
• Turn engines off at school
• Region shares smog problem with GTA
• GTA communities reveal dirty air samples
• Getting to the Heart (and lungs) of Air Pollution
• Leaders across GTA share smog-fighting strategies
• Government leaders sign clean air declaration