Peel Climate Change Strategy Mitigation Strategy Report August 18, 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS

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1 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...i LIST OF ACRONYMS...ix 1.0 Introduction About the Geographic Region of Peel BACKGROUND and OBJECTIVES What is Mitigation? Objectives CURRENT MITIGATION ACTIVITIES International Climate Change Policies Federal Climate Change Policies and Programs Provincial Climate Change Policies and Programs Climate Change Activities by the Project Partners LESSONS LEARNED FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS Examples of Municipal Climate Change Strategies - Mitigation Common Barriers and Challenges Lessons Learned and Best Practices COMMUNITY AND CORPORATE INVENTORY STATUS Region of Peel City of Brampton City of Mississauga Town of Caledon Credit Valley Conservation Toronto and Region Conservation Authority Data Gaps STRATEGY FOR SETTING A BASELINE YEAR AND TARGET GHG Emissions Inventory Preparation Methodology GHG Emissions Inventory Prediction Setting a Baseline Year and Target ASSESSMENT OF GHG MEASURES Existing Mitigation Measures Assessment of New Measures Assessing Existing and New Measures in Combination Monitoring AND REPORTING Key Elements for Monitoring Mitigation Programs Current Monitoring and Reporting Status Proposed Mitigation Based Monitoring and Reporting Strategies NEXT STEPS Next Steps Page viii

2 LIST OF ACRONYMS ADS BAU CCCSN C-CIARN CCS CO2 CVC FCM GCM GHGs GTA GTAA GTHA ICLEI IPCC LED MOU NAS OP PCP REA SCM SRES TRCA UFORE UHI UNDP UNFCCC Alternative Design Standards Business as Usual Canadian Climate Change Scenario Network Canadian Climate Impacts and Adaptation Research Network Carbon Capture and Storage Carbon Dioxide Credit Valley Conservation Federation of Canadian Municipalities Global Climate Models Greenhouse Gases Greater Toronto Area Greater Toronto Airport Authority Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Light Emitting Diode Memorandum of Understanding Natural Areas System Official Plan Partners for Climate Protection Renewable Energy Approvals Smart Commute Mississauga Special Report on Emissions Scenarios Toronto and Region Conservation Authority Urban Forest Effects Model Study Urban Heat Island United Nations Development Programme United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change Page ix

3 1.0 INTRODUCTION This report deals specifically with climate change mitigation. What we do on a local level as individuals, corporations and communities to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that contribute to global climate change is known as mitigation. The core activities associated with mitigation measures include reducing energy use (improving energy efficiency), switching to greener sources of energy and enhancing GHG sinks (systems that absorb GHGs). Initiatives and measures to reduce the vulnerability of natural and human systems against actual or expected climate change effects is known as adaptation. Adaptation to climate change is the subject of a separate, Adaption Background Report: Climate Change Strategy for the Geographic Region of Peel, dated August 13, 2010, that was prepared as part of this project. In an effort to mitigate and adapt to changes on a local scale, the City of Brampton, Town of Caledon, Credit Valley Conservation (CVC), City of Mississauga, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) and the Region of Peel have joined together to develop a Climate Change Strategy for the geographic region of Peel. The Climate Change Strategy will establish a strategic framework that will guide the six partners to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change. In early 2009, a Steering Committee was formed to help develop the terms of reference for the Plan. The partners recognize the urgency of (1) acknowledging and exploring the potential impacts of climate change on a local level; (2) developing mitigation strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and (3) identifying adaptation strategies to protect communities from the various risks posed by climate change. The Strategy will address the key sectors contributing to and potentially affected by climate change in Peel Region including: agriculture, built form, energy, human services, industrial/commercial/institutional, natural heritage, public health, public infrastructure, transportation and water resources. By understanding key sector impacts and/or effects the partners will be able to focus their current work and identify roles and responsibilities for future mitigation and adaptation programs and actions. Implementation of the Strategy will be a shared responsibility that will be carried out as agreed to by the partners. The project is divided into four tasks: Task 1 Background Research Task 2 Establishing the Strategy Task 3 Preparing the Draft Climate Change Strategy Task 4 Finalizing the Strategy Task 1 provides contextual background for the development of the Strategy. Task 2 recommends mitigation and adaptation strategies for establishing the draft Peel Climate Change Strategy. Tasks 1 and 2 are covered by two reports: Adaptation Background Report Mitigation Strategies Report The Adaptation Background Report is focused on adaptation and is designed to provide the Project Team, Steering Committee, stakeholders, Councilors and the public with a discussion around adaptation strategies in advance of the development of the Climate Change Strategy. Page 1

4 Task 2, the major deliverable of which is this report, recommends mitigation strategies in the context of existing federal, provincial government objectives and local municipal plans. As the title implies, this concentrates specifically on mitigation activities and incorporates the background research relating to mitigation undertaken in Task About the Geographic Region of Peel Geography The geographic region of Peel is located within the Regional municipality of Peel in Southern Ontario, Canada, and consists of three municipalities Cities of Mississauga, Brampton, and Town of Caledon to the west and northwest of Toronto (Figure 1). Figure 1: Map of the geographic region of Peel and surrounding area i The Regional Municipality of Peel is an upper-tier municipality and was incorporated in 1974 on the principle that certain community and infrastructure services are most cost-effectively administered over a larger geographic area. The Region of Peel includes urban and rural areas serving more than 1.2 million residents in the Cities of Mississauga and Brampton and the Town of Caledon. The Provincial Growth Plan, 2006 anticipates Peel Region growing to 1.64 million people by 2031 with an additional 870,000 jobs. From 2001 to 2011 Peel is expected to record the second fastest regional growth rate in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) with an average annual population growth of 26,000. ii The Region of Peel has an Urban and Rural System. Brampton and Mississauga make up the Urban System where the majority of growth has occurred in Peel. Currently Mississauga comprises the majority of Peel s population, but the significant growth in Brampton is expected to close the gap, and it is forecasted that Caledon will be expecting a higher rate of growth. According to the 2006 Census, Brampton is the second fastest growing community in Canada, and is connected, either directly or Page 2

5 indirectly, to some of Ontario s most significant environmental features via its major watercourse and valley corridors, including the Niagara Escarpment, Oak Ridges Moraine and Lake Ontario. Brampton will be challenged to develop 9000 ha of greenfield and intensify within the built boundary. Mississauga has experienced over three decades of strong growth and is now Canada's 6th largest municipality. The Rural System, which solely includes Caledon, is dominated by environmental, agricultural and natural resource areas. This system is subject to four provincial plans including the Greenbelt Plan, the Niagara Escarpment Plan, the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan, and the Growth Plan. Growth in the Rural System is focused on the Rural Service Centres of Bolton, Caledon East and Mayfield West. The Natural Environment of the Geographic Region of Peel The geographic Region of Peel encompasses a wide range of biophysical and ecological diversity, and consists of a long wedge spanning from the shores of Lake Ontario to the south, to the Niagara Escarpment and Oak Ridges Moraine to the north. The Cities of Mississauga and Brampton are largely urbanized and the bulk of their remaining natural areas are associated with the major creek corridors (i.e., the Credit River, Etobicoke Creek, Mimico Creek, Humber and West Humber Rivers). The Town of Caledon in the north remains predominantly rural and contains extensive natural areas, primarily associated with the Niagara Escarpment and Oak Ridges Moraine lands, but also associated with its creek corridors and the headwaters of the Credit River and Humber River. In Mississauga, the Lake Ontario waterfront is a unique physical feature, as is the 90 km Credit River that runs from the Orangeville Reservoir at the north end of the Region through the Cities of Brampton and Mississauga into Lake Ontario iii. The natural heritage distinction between the largely urban areas of Brampton and Mississauga, and the predominantly rural Caledon is illustrated in their relative contributions to the Region s forest cover. The Region s overall forest cover is estimated to be 20.6 %, but the Town of Caledon contributes to nearly 85% of that cover, while Brampton and Mississauga each contribute half of the remaining 15%. The average forest patch size is also significantly larger in the Town of Caledon (i.e., 35 ha as compared to about 7 ha in Brampton and Mississauga) where the remaining natural areas are also better connected than those to the south iv. In addition to forest cover, the Geographic Region of Peel also has about 4.2% wetland cover (2.2% Provincially Significant Wetlands and another 2% in Non-Provincially Significant Wetlands), as well as some meadow and successional areas. Like the forest cover, most of the provincially significant, locally significant and unevaluated wetlands are found in Caledon v. Current records indicate that the Region provides habitat for numerous Species-at-Risk, as well as species of regional conservation concern. A number of these species persist in the urbanized Brampton and Mississauga, although many are also found in Caledon s natural areas. These natural areas and the species that inhabit them will be required to respond and adapt to the shifts anticipated with climate change, or evolve. Natural areas in the Region are likely to fare reasonably well at least over the next few decades, since the changes in temperature and precipitation anticipated over the next fifty years are not expected to be dramatic, and because most of the species occurring in the geographic region of Peel are already adapted to relatively wide ranges of temperatures and variable hydrologic regimes. However, the ability of the Region s natural areas to evolve as a result of climate change is likely to be compromised by the fact that many of the Region s natural areas are already under stress from habitat fragmentation and urbanization. Outside of the natural areas, there are also trees and shrubs along streets, regional roads and highways as well as scattered trees on private property (residential yards, commercial and industrial properties) in parks and other open spaces that contribute to the Region s urban forest. These trees have particular value in the more urbanized cities of Brampton and Mississauga where they provide some limited connectivity between otherwise fragmented natural areas and also provide a range of environmental benefits including cooling buildings and paved areas in the summer, filtering air and water pollutants, and Page 3

6 providing habitat for some groups of wildlife such as migratory birds. In general, from a mitigation perspective, urban forests help to: Reduce heat gain in buildings through shading, cooling ambient air temperatures through evapotranspiration, and providing storm water control. Sequester carbon dioxide by increasing the canopy of the urban forest, and also reducing air pollutants and increasing shade. Increase the number of large, healthy trees in urban environments is highly desirable to reduce the impact of and adapt to climate change. These natural and treed areas in the Region are not only of intrinsic value, but hold tremendous value to the people living in the Region in terms of the environmental, social and economic benefits they confer, as well as the recreational amenities they provide. Brampton s trail system follows the rivers, providing a scenic environment for running, walking, or just taking in the calming sounds and scenery vi. In Mississauga, the recently completed Waterfront Trail provides 15 km of continuous pedestrian, cycling and in-line skating routes that meander through parks, scenic streets and green spaces along Lake Ontario vii. Mississauga also has several trails that run along river/stream corridors. Mississauga is linked to Brampton via several river systems including Etobicoke Creek, Fletchers and the Credit River. These are all major trails that contribute to an interregional trail network. In Caledon, the Town s trails network includes more than 100 km of Bruce Trail running along the scenic Niagara Escarpment. Communities and Population in Peel The Regional Municipality of Peel is 1,257,466 km 2 in size and had a population of 1.30 million in From 2001 to 2006, Peel had the second-highest population growth rate (15.9%) among municipalities in Ontario, second only to York Region (22.4%). From 2001 to 2009, Peel Region s population was estimated to have grown by 22%, with the majority of growth occurring within the City of Brampton. Peel is expected to grow to 1.64 million people by 2031, representing a 54% increase from 2001 levels. The City of Mississauga occupies the southernmost portion of the region, has a land area of 292,017 km 2, a 2009 population of 728,500, and is the most urban municipality of the three area municipalities in Peel. From 2001 to 2009, the City was estimated to have grown by 14%. By 2031, the City of Mississauga is expected grow another 11% from 2009 levels. The City of Brampton is situated in the central portion of Peel Region, has a land area of 269,455 km 2, a 2009 population of 500,700, and is still urbanizing existing Greenfield areas in the north-west and northeast of the city. From 2001 to 2009, the City of Brampton was estimated to have grown by 47%. By 2031, the City is expected to grow another 45% from 2009 levels. The Town of Caledon represents the northernmost portion of Peel Region and has a land area of 695,993 km 2, a 2009 population of 60,400, and is considered primarily rural with three Rural Service Centres: Bolton, Caledon East and Mayfield West. According to the Green Belt Plan 2005 a large portion (approx. 80%) of the land in the Town of Caledon is considered Protected Countryside which means all the policies of the Green Belt Plan will apply and thus remain rural. The Town was estimated to have grown by 14% from 2001 to 2009 and is expected to grow another 84% by 2031 from 2009 levels. Page 4

7 Region Geographic Location within Peel Region Land Area *Estimated 2009 Population Estimated Population growth from Expected Population Growth from 2009 levels by 2031 City of Southernmost 292,017km 2 728,500 14% 11% Mississauga City of Central 269,455 km 2 500,700 47% 45% Brampton Town of Caledon Northernmost 695,993 km 2 60,400 14% 84% Table 1 Estimated Population Growth within the Region of Peel *Estimated 2009 Population for the Cities of Mississauga and Brampton and the Town of Caledon represent the end of the third quarter in As can be seen from Table 1, there has been and is anticipated to be significant growth in all regions of Peel, a factor which affects GHG emissions and needs to be taken into account in mitigation strategy development. Economic Considerations: Employment Base As of June 2009, the sectoral distribution of businesses in Peel was 16.7% goods-producing sector and 83.3% services-producing sector. Within the goods producing sector, all sub-sectors registered a fall in the number of businesses establishments. This was led by a 62.5% decline in the number of businesses in the mining, gas and utilities sector, moving from 88 business establishments in June 2008 to 33 business establishments in June The total number of business establishments in the manufacturing sector fell by 8.7% to reach 4,607 business establishments. In services, most sectors registered a reduction in the number of business establishments. This was led by a 41% drop in the number of businesses in the professional and business service sub-sector moving from 21,672 businesses in June 2008 to 12,777 businesses in June viii The drop in the number of business establishment from 2008 to 2009 is portrayed in the chart below. 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0 Professional and Business Service Manufacturing Mining/Gas/ Utilities Figure 2 Business Establishment Comparison 2008/2009 Page 5

8 The major economic sectors in Mississauga are: Life sciences, Aerospace, Automotive, Financial services, and; Information & communications technologies Some of the top employers in Mississauga include: Accenture Inc., Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Air Canada, Bell Canada, Bell Mobility Inc., C F M Vermont Castings Majestics Products, Cara Operations, City, Federal Express, Greater Toronto Airports Authority, Hewlett-Packard (Canada), Loblaw Companies East, RBC Financial Group and RBC Insurance Services, Symcor, TD Bank Financial Group, Wal-Mart Canada, and Winners Merchants Inc. Fifty-nine Fortune 500 corporations have major head offices in Mississauga, including 40 of Canada s top 500 companies. The major economic sectors in Brampton are: advanced manufacturing, retail administration and logistics, IT, food and beverage, life science, and business services. The following companies have their national headquarters in Brampton: Loblaw Companies, Maple Lodge Farms, HBC/Zellers, Santa Maria Foods, xpedx, Velcro Canada, Bacardi Canada Inc., Brita Canada, Italpasta, Atlantis Aerospace, Clorox of Canada, Blue Giant, Nacan Products, Brampton Brick, and Mandarin Restaurants. ix Page 6

9 The Town of Caledon has a significant concentration of local employment in: agriculture, construction, logistics, arts, entertainment, recreation, manufacturing, and wholesale trade. Some of the top employers in Caledon include: Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd., Mars Canada Inc., Cavalier Transportation, Bolton Steel Tube, Multivans Inc., Caledon Sand & Gravel, H.B. Fenn and Company Ltd., Delgant Construction Ltd., Advanced Precast, ConCreate USL Ltd., Pepsico Canada, and Sardo Foods. x The predominance of commerce and industry with associated transport facilities such as Pearson airport in the region means that these sectors will account for significant proportions of community emissions and their efforts towards mitigation will be a major factor. Cultural Considerations Under the Ontario Heritage Act, the Ontario Heritage Trust has a responsibility to identify, preserve, protect and promote Ontario s rich and varied heritage for the benefit of present and future generations xi. Included in this vast list of heritage properties, a few are located within the Region of Peel. These include: Peel County Courthouse and Jail (Regional Municipality of Peel - City of Brampton) Benares (Regional Municipality of Peel - City of Mississauga) The Region of Peel values its heritage and in response, developed the Peel Heritage Complex xii. It is comprised of: Region of Peel Archives which includes a documented history of Peel o The collection includes a virtual exhibit of the 1948 Brampton Flood Art Gallery of Peel which include exhibitions and displays Region of Peel Museum which includes exhibitions with brief overviews Peel County Jail which was an authentic jail where tours are now available Whitney Community Gallery which showcases exhibitions and local artwork It will be important to protect our heritage buildings from potential flooding and structural damage that may be associated with extreme weather events, and develop solutions to improve their energy efficiency. Page 7

10 Each community in Peel has a number of cultural and arts attractions and hosts a number of events and festivals throughout the year: Mississauga hosts five major festivals annually (Carassauga, Mississauga International Children's Festival, Streetsville Founders Bread & Honey Festival, Mississauga Waterfront Festival and the Southside Shuffle) and is home to art galleries, performing arts centres, museums, walking trails and cultural centres. Each month over 150 events are held by arts and heritage groups in the city. xiii Brampton has numerous art galleries, a Brampton Arts Council that provides the Heritage, Arts, Cultural, Entertainment (HACE) Entrepreneurship Program and is home to Carabram Brampton s Multicultural Festival, a Winter Festival, the Brampton Rose - Brampton's South Asian Festival and dozens of other events for tourists, residents, businesses. Caledon offers residents and visitors attractions such as farmers markets, harvest fairs, the Caledon Hills Studio Adventure, arts studios, and numerous outdoor attractions. It will be important to reach out the Peel s diverse communities to help them take actions to reduce GHGs and look for partnerships within those communities. Page 8

11 Partner Mandates, Roles and Responsibilities The Region of Peel is generally responsible for the delivery of services related to: Water Wastewater Regional Roads (maintenance, planning, design and construction) Waste Management Regional Emergency Management Regional Planning (land use policy and development) Health Services (public health, long-term care and paramedic services) Human Services (children s services, Ontario Works, social housing) Regional Environmental conservation programs (water, land and energy conservation, protection of the natural environment) While the area municipalities (i.e. Cities of Brampton and Mississauga and Town of Caledon) are generally responsible for: Building Permits By-law Enforcement Transit Local Roads (maintenance, planning, design and construction) Stormwater Management Local Environmental conservation programs (water, land and energy conservation, protection of the natural environment) Local Planning (land use policy, development and zoning) Parks and Recreation Culture, Heritage and Tourism Economic Development Fire and Emergency Services Forestry In terms of governance, the Region of Peel is governed by a Regional Council consisting of elected officials and an appointed Regional Chair. Council representation includes the mayors of the three area municipalities and Councillors representing the area municipalities. The three area municipalities are governed by separate Councils comprising local wards. Some local Councillors are also Regional Councillors. The Region of Peel contains portions of five major watersheds administered by the Credit Valley Conservation (CVC), Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), Conservation Halton (CH), Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA) and Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA). The jurisdictions of CVC and TRCA cover most of the Region, with the other three watersheds covering relatively smaller areas in the Region (Figure 3). The Region provides funding to CVC, TRCA and Conservation Halton as per the Conservation Authorities Act, the majority of which is provided to CVC followed by TRCA. Regional Council created a special levy through the Conservation Authorities 2007 budget specifically for climate change projects, to which the Region makes annual contributions to support the climate change work of CVC and TRCA. xiv In Ontario, Conservation Authorities (CAs) began to be formed in the 1940 s as natural resources management organizations under the Conservation Authorities Act. The authorities were formed on a Page 9

12 watershed basis because it was acknowledged that the watershed (land drained by a river or lake) is the fundamental base ecosystem to manage the natural environment. When Hurricane Hazel occurred in 1954, the CAs were given the responsibility of managing flooding and erosion issues in their constituent watersheds through an additional regulation under the Conservation Authorities Act. This decision was made because the watershed-based jurisdiction and mandate of Conservation Authorities was recognized as the most effective basis upon which to manage the risk to life and property associated with water flow. The CAs were formed by the Provincial Government at the request of the watershed municipalities. They are governed by Boards comprising members from the watershed municipalities and are also funded by the municipalities. While both CAs and municipalities have mandates to protect, preserve and enhance the natural environment, the CAs have specific authority and mandate through the Conservation Authorities Act. The Conservation Authorities mandate under the Act is broad and enables CAs the power to conduct research and develop programs to conserve, restore or develop all natural resources in their jurisdiction. The regulation under the Act also gives CAs jurisdiction to directly regulate development in and around river corridors and valleys, wetlands and shorelines. Development can occur but only under certain conditions if there is no impact on such things as flooding and erosion, conservation of land, etc. In addition to regulating development within their regulated areas, CAs are consulted by their constituent municipalities as commenting agencies under the Planning Act for all issues related to the Conservation Authorities Act. In some cases agreements exist between CAs and municipalities (e.g. Memorandum of Understanding between the Region of Peel, CVC, TRCA and Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority) to define the role of CAs in development planning, which may extend beyond the roles defined by the Conservation Authorities Act and Planning Act. Conservation Authorities can appeal municipal decisions on various issues at various points in the planning process. Today, Conservation Authorities summarize their mandates as follows: to ensure that Ontario's rivers, lakes and streams are properly safeguarded, managed and restored; to protect, manage and restore Ontario's woodlands, wetlands and natural habitat; to develop and maintain programs that will protect life and property from natural hazards such as flooding and erosion; and to provide opportunities for the public to enjoy, learn from and respect Ontario's natural environment. As evidenced, most activities undertaken by CAs in Ontario are directly related to increasing the health and resiliency of the natural environment and to protecting people and property from natural hazards. As the natural environment and the risks associated with natural hazards may be dramatically impacted by climate change, Conservation Authorities programs provide many climate change adaptation opportunities. More recently, as the understanding of climate change impacts to Ontario has increased, many CAs including the TRCA and CVC are modifying and intensifying their programs, based on the most recent climate science, to address specific issues or ecosystems that are most vulnerable to climate change. CA s are also leading climate change initiatives to both reduce the impact of their own operations as well as to encourage the citizens, businesses and industries within their jurisdictions to do the same. This research and technical expertise can help the Region of Peel and area municipalities to examine how they should reduce their carbon footprint and respond to the effects of climate change. Page 10