Ontario Construction News staff writer
Following the COP15 summit in Montreal, the City of Mississauga has joined more than 40 other municipalities around the globe pledging their commitment to protecting biodiversity.
The Parks and Forestry Master Plan, Climate Change Action Plan, and Official Plan set up 15 actions outlined in the Montreal Pledge.
“The impacts of climate change can be felt in Mississauga, and we’ve already seen warmer temperatures, extreme storm events, and increased flooding right in our own backyard. There’s an urgency for continued action to address these impacts and prevent them from growing worse,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “We’re taking action, including signing onto the Montreal Pledge to protect our biodiversity and strengthen resilience to future climate shifts to protect our health and economy.
“We will continue to work with businesses, other levels of government and our residents to help safeguard our future and achieve our vision of a low-carbon and resilient community.”
Progress so far includes:
- Installing 59 electric vehicle (EV) chargers
- Adding 38 kilometres of cycling infrastructure
- 15 low-impact developments (LIDs) throughout road right-of-ways
- Acquiring 38 acres of parkland
- Zero-Emissions Vehicle Strategy
- Implementing a home energy retrofits program for single-family homes
- Planted more than 460,000 trees
- completed inventory for 36 priority woodland locations
“If we don’t take action now, things will only worsen,” said Jodi Robillos, Commissioner, Community Services. “We’re investing in low-carbon technology, infrastructure and assets like low and zero emissions vehicles and buses. We’re exploring the latest technologies and innovations and hope to move forward with district energy in key neighbourhoods and introduce shared micro-mobility systems.
“We’re making informed decisions and evolving our plans around transportation, buildings, construction and infrastructure to decarbonize our built environment and run as efficiently as possible.”