As Chair of the Environment and Climate Change Committee, I’m happy to report that it was a busy month for the committee, with several major reports approved by Committee and Council. Among them, the Climate Change Master Plan and GHG inventory update showed that the city has invested more than $1.1 billion in climate initiatives between 2023 and 2025. This includes $974 million for the Zero Emission Bus Program and $129 million for climate resiliency projects. Since the last update in April 2023, the city has delivered key projects such as the Better Homes Ottawa loan program, new rooftop solar installations and key city plans which incorporate a climate lens.
The report also showed that the city has reduced greenhouse gas emissions in areas under its direct operational control. As of 2024, corporate emissions (emissions directly from City of Ottawa’s corporate operations, e.g. garbage collection) were 26%lower than in 2012, shy of the 2025 target of 30%. Community emissions require yet more focus; in 2024, they were 5% lower than the 2012 baseline, shy of the 2025 target of a 43% reduction.
These figures are comparable to municipalities such as Toronto, and they underline the continued need for, and importance of, community emissions reduction initiatives, especially in Ottawa’s highest emitting sectors: transportation, which accounts for 44% of Ottawa’s community emissions, and buildings, which account for 41%.
A public online dashboard will launch this fall to provide residents with access to transparent emissions data and trends.
Council also approved a new framework to guide investments in high-impact climate initiatives which can deliver the greatest impact, such as building retrofits, zero-emission transportation and extreme-weather preparedness through the upcoming Climate Ready Ottawa strategy.
To broaden the scope and scale of climate action, the city will also establish a working group to coordinate efforts with partners across sectors. This effort stems from a series of motions which our office has put forward since 2020.
An update on the Tree Planting Strategy showed that, between 2017 and 2022, Ottawa’s overall tree canopy increased from 34% to 36%, mainly due to canopy growth in rural areas. Over the next two years, staff will focus on planting trees in equity-deserving neighbourhoods with fewer trees and greater need. More than 1200 free trees were distributed to residents this spring through a citywide giveaway program, which will double its reach in 2026. These efforts support Ottawa’s long-term goal of reaching 40% canopy cover and improving climate resilience.
The new Parks Waste Collection and Diversion Strategy was also approved. Starting in 2026, this program will see 48 parks across the city receive three-stream bins for garbage, recycling, and organics, with 100 more parks added each year until 2029. Off-leash dog parks will receive organic waste bins to help divert waste.
Finally, the Committee received an update on preparations for a change in residential recycling services, as Ottawa transitions to the Province of Ontario’s new Blue Box Program, starting January 1, 2026. Under this system, producers will take over responsibility for collecting and processing recyclable materials. Residents will still receive garbage, organics and yard waste collection from the city, while a province-wide recyclable collection system will be managed by Circular Materials. To help residents through this transition, the city is aligning its waste collection schedule so that residents will continue to have one single collection day per week.
The city is also enhancing recycling services for small businesses through updates to the Yellow Bag Program and modernizing its waste communications by moving to a fully digital collection calendar.
These changes represent positive steps forward for the City of Ottawa. And yet, much more is needed. In our community and around the world, we see the impacts of climate change continue to increase in magnitude, scale and frequency. Residents need solutions to reduce our emissions and also to help us adapt. To that end, our office continues to work closely with staff, and to call for more action and investment in climate action at every turn.
