June 8, 2007, Novae Res Urbis
Smog Summit: Less talk, more action
Anne Marie Aikins
The Clean Air Partnership hosted its smog summit at Toronto city hall yesterday—an annual opportunity for local politicians in the GTA to highlight clean air actions that they will implement during the coming year before they sign an intergovernmental declaration on clean air. After renewing their vows for the eighth time—minus the federal government who was a no show again this year— now is the time to make a serious commitment to implementing measurable actions on smog.
“In spite of this annual commitment from cities, especially the City of Toronto which has shown real leadership, urban sprawl, smog and congestion continue to increase each year,” said MPP Peter Tabuns. He was left to field questions after environment minister Laurel Broten took a pass on talking to the media after she signed the declaration.
“However, there are limits to what municipalities can do—there must be more leadership from senior levels of government, including more commitment of cash,” Tabuns told NRU.
Broten used the event to re-announce her government’s intention to launch a climate change action plan in the coming weeks, a plan that she promises will rival any other government’s plan. The mystery plan, however, is just that—a big secret, NDP caucus member Tabuns said. It has been turned into an “election campaign promise instead of real action on climate change.”
A number of GTA municipalities, including Toronto, have developed voluntary green development standards. Although most believe it will not withstand the scrutiny of the Ontario Municipal Board, Caledon has even passed a by-law to try to make its green building standards mandatory.
“Although the Liberals promised a much more progressive building code, that didn’t happen so municipalities are left to create their own green standards for development— an inconsistent, voluntary system that can’t work,” Tabuns said.
CAP executive director Eva Ligeti was expecting to hear announcements with measurable results such asreducing energy use in municipal buildings, retrofitting municipal building stock, increasing transit ridership and so on. She was not disappointed.
“Being green is not just fashionable, it is necessary for clean air,” Ligeti said. “We have heard some tremendous action plans today.”
Mayor David Miller said he looks forward to the event each year to hear about best practices in fighting climate change.
“When municipal governments decide to act, they act and the actions heard today are nothing short of amazing,” Miller said.
Although the politicians sign the same declaration on clean air each year, the call for action and focus change each year, Ligeti told NRU. Actions include energy conservation measures especially with partners like Toronto Hydro; purchasing green power; green building policies; installing green technology; and developing transportation demand management initiatives. The declaration also encourages identifying innovative financial mechanisms that encourage corporate energy-use reductions—an ecotool most municipalities, however, have not taken full advantage of.
Many of the politicians present, including Miller and Brampton mayor Susan Fennell, were at last weekend’s Federation of Canadian Municipalities meeting in Calgary at which Fennell was elected chair of the Ontario Caucus. In a motion put forward by Fennell, there was near unanimous support by more than 2,000 delegates for Miller’s one cent campaign.
“Municipalities are doing what they can within land use regulatory systems and with only a shoestring budget,” Miller said. “Can you imagine what we could do if we have long-term sustainable funding.”
Other political leaders attending included—councillors Shelley Carroll, chair of the Toronto Atmospheric Fund, Gord Perks, Adam Vaughan, Adam Giambrone, Joe Mihevc and Janet Davis; Burlington mayor Cam Jackson; Mississauga councillors George Carlson and Carolyn Parrish; Vaughan regional councillor Joyce Frustaglio; Pickering regional councillor Bonnie Littley; Halton regional councillor Rick Goldring; Newmarket mayor Tony Van Bynen; Richmond Hill regional councillor Vito Spatafora; Caledon mayor Marolyn Morrisson; Oshawa councillor John Henry; Markham councillor Erin Shapero; East Gwillimbury mayor James Young and Peel Region chair Emil Kolb.
