Electric vehicle rebate among staff proposals to speed up Toronto’s target to become a carbon neutral city by 2030
Electric vehicles and charging infrastructure a priority for Mayor John Tory and his cabinet
Public art and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra are also on Toronto’s list
Mayor John Tory’s vision for Toronto in just two years is to become a carbon neutral city by 2030.
The new mayor and his cabinet have come up with a plan to speed up the long-term goal for Toronto, which includes electric vehicles and a new infrastructure for charging them.
The plan — which includes public art and a boost to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra — also calls for city staff to figure out how to make the city a more competitive place for tech companies.
“The bottom line, is climate change is really a matter that’s been on the mind of every city in North America, and Canada, even more so, since the first Earth Day,” said Rob Ford.
Tory is leading an effort to make Toronto carbon neutral by 2030. (CBC)
Ford, who lost the mayor’s office in 2010 for being charged with assault and remains under provincial jail rules, has been a climate change and energy adviser to the mayor since he was sworn in in 2013.
Ford is “committed to the climate fight,” Tory said today in a news conference at city hall. “Rob is committed to the fight about climate change.
“He’s committed to a plan to do it and he’s committed to the need for leadership on the climate change issue and he’s committed to taking action.”
Tory sees climate initiatives as part of a larger agenda to make Toronto a leader city for tech companies and a top destination for foreign investment, he said.
“One key to leadership is the ability to attract investment and the ability to attract investment is directly tied to competitiveness,” Ford said. “The mayor’s commitment to building a better city and building a better community is in direct connection to the ability of our city and our businesses to compete and to attract investment.”
The city’s target, which now starts in late 2016, will be accelerated to two years, meaning Toronto would be carbon neutral by 2020.
The mayor has proposed