For over three decades, Canadian cities have been at the front line of climate action. This is an important effort given that cities influence more than half of Canada’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through buildings, transport, and land use. Among other areas. The groundwork began in the 1990s: Toronto became the first city globally to set a formal GHG target (20% below 1988 levels by 2005), while Vancouver’s first climate action plan and then the Greenest City Action Plan (2009) redefined urban sustainability. By 2010, 60–80 Canadian municipalities had adopted climate plans. This planning was concentrated in larger urban centers but increasingly spread to smaller municipalities. After 2010, this foundation inspired a wave of ambitious plans, net-zero commitments. By 2025, there will be more than 500 climate emergency declarations by Canadian cities, which call for taking action on climate change through various initiatives that will help limit global warming.
Federal and provincial supports often amplified these efforts along the way—notably the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) for coordination and the C40 Cities network (joined by Toronto in 2015) for global alignment. Today, hundreds of cities deploy robust climate strategies, from Toronto’s award-winning TransformTO (net-zero by 2040) to Vancouver’s Six Big Moves targeting building electrification and embodied carbon—all leveraging investments, regulations, and bylaws to address climate change (bike lanes, parks, EV chargers, building requirements, energy sources, infrastructure).
The Early Foundations: City-Initiated Planning (1990s–2000s)
When Toronto adopted Canada’s first urban climate plan in 1991, the federal government was not supportive. Ottawa’s withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol (2002) dissolved hopes for a national strategy. However, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) took some leadership. Its Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program—supported by early federal funding—empowered cities like Vancouver and Halifax to invest in emissions tracking, target-setting, and climate-oriented planning. Kyoto’s ratification (2002) unlocked municipal motivations and authority. PCPs’ financial backing with federal funds legitimized local investment and planning efforts.
The Turning Point: Disasters and Responses (2010–2020)
The 2010s forced climate change onto municipal agendas, in part, through a number of high-profile natural climate disasters. Climate change was not a distant threat; it was happening in our neighbourhoods (Calgary’s 2013 floods ($6 billion in damages), Toronto’s 2013 flash floods, Fort McMurray’s 2016 wildfire (88,000 evacuated), Vancouver Floods, etc.) The case for action from local governments became more and more urgent. Insured losses doubled compared to 1983–2009, with events intensifying due to warming 2× faster than the global average.
Concurrently, federal policy shifted in favour of funding for local investments and policy changes. The Paris Agreement (2015) positioned cities as “critical partners” in Canada’s Pan-Canadian Framework. Green Municipal Fund (GMF) injections ($1.65 billion federal) financed tangible projects: (Halifax’s coastal barriers, Regina’s circular waste economy). Carbon pricing ($65/tonne by 2025) raised the cost of inaction, accelerating plans like Toronto’s TransformTO retrofits. As Vancouver’s then-Deputy Mayor Andrea Reimer noted, “GMF loans turned our net-zero dreams into tendered contracts.”
Climate Action Plans: Where Federal Meets Local (2020–Present)
Today’s climate action plans blend municipal innovation and accountability with federal funding:
- Equity Mandates
Federal grants now require DEDI integration (Decolonization, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion)—a framework prioritizing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and equitable co-design. Examples include:
• Vancouver co-designing heat responses with unhoused communities
• Winnipeg is embedding its Indigenous Accord into climate governance
• Toronto’s Youth Climate Corps - Accountability Tools
Ottawa’s Climate Atlas of Canada standardized emissions tracking—letting cities like Saskatoon benchmark progress. - Crisis-Driven Adaptation
After BC’s 2021 floods, federal disaster funds demanded “build back better” clauses, pushing cities like Abbotsford toward resilience standards.
The Path Ahead: A Trillion-Dollar Opportunity
As climate costs mount, federal-local collaboration must evolve: - Decade-Long Funding: There are calls to replace ad-hoc grants with 10-year commitments (e.g., GMF’s 2024 renewal).
- Equity Enforcement: Tie federal dollars to verified community co-design.
- Rural Streamlining: Deploy FCM hubs to help small towns navigate bureaucracy.
When Halifax Mayor Mike Savage calls climate action “the ultimate neighbourhood project,” he captures its essence. Federal funding can set the stage, but local implementation determines success. From Vancouver’s net-zero towers to Regina’s waste revolution, Canada’s 100 largest cities prove this partnership can result in effective climate change responses. The story of Climate Action Planning evolved from cities managing standalone policies (e.g., Toronto’s 1990s target) toward coordinated and integrated governance of funds and technologies to address climate change.
Bibliography
Government Policy & Frameworks
- Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). (2024). Departmental Plan 2024–25. Government of Canada.
https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/corporate/transparency/priorities-management/departmental-plans/2024-2025.html - Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). (2025). Departmental Plan 2025–26. Government of Canada.
https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/corporate/transparency/priorities-management/departmental-plans/2025-2026.html - Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). (2023). Climate Change Adaptation in Canada.
https://natural-resources.canada.ca/climate-change/climate-change-adaptation
Municipal Climate Action & Analysis - Prairie Climate Centre. (2025). Canadian Cities and Climate Change. Climate Atlas of Canada.
https://climateatlas.ca/canadian-cities-and-climate-change - Herbert, Y., Dale, A., & Stashok, C. (2022). Canadian Cities: Climate Change Action and Plans. Journal of Buildings and Cities, 3(1), 854–873.
DOI: 10.5334/bc 251 - Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). (2025). Climate and Sustainability.
https://fcm.ca/en/focus-areas/climate-and-sustainability
Equity & Justice in Climate Planning - npj Climate Action (2025). The Current State of Municipal Climate Action Plans in Effecting Positive Social Justice Outcomes in Canada, 4(57).
DOI: 10.1038/s44168-025-00260-3
Climate Impacts & Urban Resilience - Urban Climate (2023). How Climate Change Could Affect Different Cities in Canada and What That Means for the Risks to the Built-Environment Functions, 51, 101639.
DOI: 10.1016/j.uclim.2023.101639 - Prairie Climate Centre. (2025). Building a Climate-Resilient City (Report Series).
https://climateatlas.ca/topic/cities
Key City Climate Plans (Primary Sources) - City of Vancouver. (2020). Climate Emergency Action Plan.
https://vancouver.ca/green-vancouver/climate-emergency-action-plan.aspx - City of Toronto. (2021). TransformTO Net Zero Strategy.
https://www.toronto.ca/transformto - Halifax Regional Municipality. (2020). Halif ACT 2050.
https://www.halifax.ca/halifact
