Municipal Energy Plan - About
About climate change
Climate change is a significant threat and emergency that must be addressed. Local and national governments need to respond immediately to help make lasting and impactful changes. Vaughan, like all other communities, has the responsibility to lower its emissions.
Vaughan is one of Canada’s fastest-growing municipalities – a trend that is expected to continue over the coming decades. The City will continue to transition from a primarily suburban environment to an urban area that will place greater reliance on transit-supported intensification and higher density mixed-use forms of development to accommodate its future growth. During this urban transition, Vaughan has an opportunity to create a low-emissions community by thinking about the way things are built, planned for and lived in throughout the city.
What the City of Vaughan is doing about it: reviewing the Municipal Energy Plan
The City of Vaughan is conducting a comprehensive Municipal Energy Plan Revision to help develop a new low-carbon transition strategy for the city and provide direction on how to reduce greenhouse gases and energy use. The Municipal Energy Plan Revision will update the 2016 Municipal Energy Plan (PDF) and put Vaughan Council’s Climate Emergency Declaration (PDF) into action. The plan will be rooted in a science-based approach that puts Vaughan in alignment with internationally recognized targets, setting a pathway to reduce per-capita greenhouse gas emissions by about half by 2030, and to reach the target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to avoid the most significant impacts of climate change. The plan will identify the appropriate pathway and timeline for reaching net-zero emissions in Vaughan based on our unique local context.
During the Municipal Energy Plan Revision planning process, the City will focus on identifying actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase energy efficiency and increase renewable energy assets. Opportunities to make these changes will be explored in all sectors across the city including buildings, transportation, energy supply and industry to transition to a low-carbon community.
The Federal government committed to the Paris Agreement in 2015. This means that Canada has agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to a level in line with limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius and ideally 1.5 degrees Celsius, and reaching net-zero emissions no later than 2050. To achieve this target all levels of government need to act. As the most local form of government, municipalities can significantly influence how energy is used or conserved in a community. The Municipal Energy Plan Revision will consider the City’s role in climate action and develop implementation strategies that are appropriate for Vaughan, including financing options, incentives, policy approaches, by-laws, partnerships, and governance structures.
The Municipal Energy Plan Revision further supports the City’s commitment to environmental stewardship by protecting the environment and fostering a sustainable future as outlined in the 2018-2022 Term of Council Service Excellence Strategic Plan. Alongside Vaughan’s environmental initiatives like Green Directions Vaughan, the 2016 Municipal Energy Plan (PDF), and the Sustainability Metrics program, the updated Municipal Energy Plan will help preserve and protect the environment for years to come.
Sustainability Solutions Group has been retained as the Municipal Energy Plan Revision consultants. The team will recommend specific and actionable policies as input to the update of the Vaughan Official Plan and these policies will help meet the goals of the Municipal Energy Plan to better integrate energy and climate change in land use planning.
Frequently asked questions
For questions related to the City’s Municipal Energy Plan Revision or climate change, review some frequently asked questions. Questions can also be emailed to mep@vaughan.ca.