Toronto can still mandate sustainable building designs despite Ontario law: city staff report

Jordan Omstead · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jun 17, 2025 6:37 AM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

A recently released study from metropolis unit says Toronto inactive has the authorization to mandate caller buildings conscionable definite clime and sustainability targets, contempt concerns those powers could beryllium undercut by a caller Ontario law.

The study acceptable to spell earlier the city's enforcement committee connected Tuesday says there's "no impact" to the city's quality to use its greenish modular to caller improvement nether the precocious passed Bill 17, Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act.

Several biology and manufacture groups person suggested the instrumentality whitethorn forestall municipalities from mounting standards beyond what's already required successful the provincial gathering code.

Toronto's greenish modular is considered a cardinal plank of the city's clime program and is touted arsenic a mode to marque caller buildings much resilient to climate-fuelled utmost upwind portion cutting backmost connected emissions.

Among different things, it requires caller builds to clasp stormwater to forestall flooding during utmost rainfall and person capable histrion canopy to assistance stave disconnected utmost heat. It besides requires buildings to conscionable yearly emissions targets, pushing developers to see low-carbon heating options specified arsenic vigor pumps implicit earthy gas, and instal parking spots for bikes and electrical vehicles.

A spokesperson for Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Rob Flack did not straight accidental whether the measure would interaction Toronto's quality to enforce the standard, but she did accidental it was adding to gathering costs and slowing down construction.

"Our authorities is focused connected what the economics support, mounting the aforesaid rules for everyone to get shovels successful the crushed to physique much homes faster," Alexandra Sanita wrote successful a statement.

Experts pass Bill 17 could stall section greenish standards

The Atmospheric Fund, a determination bureau that supports clime solutions successful the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, has suggested greenish improvement standards whitethorn really assistance accelerate improvement timelines by streamlining sustainability-related readying requirements into a azygous papers with wide expectations.

In a missive to the province, it pointed to information that suggested Toronto and Pickering, 2 municipalities with greenish standards, person some seen their support timelines amended successful caller years, though they stay supra the nationalist average.

WATCH | Province gave Toronto $67M after city came adjacent to hitting lodging people past year:

Bryan Purcell, a vice-president astatine The Atmospheric Fund who's worked intimately connected greenish standards, says helium was "somewhat surprised" but "very encouraged" by however definitive the city's presumption was successful the unit report. He says greenish standards are "so core" to Toronto's clime objectives that "we can't truly spend to suffer it."

But helium said the measure had generated capable disorder to perchance stall efforts by municipalities funny successful pursuing their ain mentation of the standard.

"I deliberation the biggest contiguous interaction is that I expect to spot immoderate slowdown successful those cities that were connected the way of processing their archetypal greenish standards," helium said successful an interview.

The omnibus Bill 17 was rushed done the legislature and passed into instrumentality earlier this period earlier a nationalist remark play closed and without further reappraisal by a legislative committee.

Changes made nether the caller provincial instrumentality forestall municipalities from passing bylaws respecting the operation oregon demolition of buildings. Some instrumentality firms and regulatory bodies, including the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA), person said that alteration would look to marque greenish standards obsolete.

Others person suggested the state whitethorn usage the measure to bounds what types of studies a metropolis tin necessitate from a developer earlier approving a project. Toronto's greenish standard, for example, requires a developer to taxable an vigor modelling study that outlines however the gathering volition support greenhouse state emissions successful check.

The OAA says greenish standards should not beryllium lost, adding they assistance "everyone recognize vigor depletion successful buildings," and presumption Ontario to execute its clime targets.

More than a twelve different Ontario municipalities person utilized Toronto arsenic a exemplary to travel up with their ain greenish standards. While Toronto, Halton Hills and Whitby are among those with mandatory standards, astir are voluntary.

The Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON), a vocal professional of the standard, has suggested it's adding to lodging costs. RESCON sued Toronto implicit the modular past twelvemonth successful a lawsuit inactive earlier the courts.

President Richard Lyall called the metropolis unit study acceptable to beryllium discussed Tuesday "delusional and unsubstantiated."

"We're going to marque our views known to the committee," helium said.