As our biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions, our city’s buildings are critical to climate action but a huge vulnerability if we don’t act fast. Many of our homes, businesses and community spaces still rely on fossil fuels and they aren’t keeping us safe during extreme weather. Toronto already has over 120 premature deaths per year due to extreme heat, and in the next 25 years we’ll have 60 days that are over 30? each year. Most older apartments without air conditioning don’t even provide an on-site cooling space for tenants and many are overdue to replace vital service systems. 

Olivia will:

Ramp up enforcement of RentSafeTO requirements to ensure tenants are notified of on-site and nearby cooling spaces
Develop a multi-phase plan to implement maximum temperature limits in buildings to protect people’s health and prepare for climate change, prioritizing high risk ‘hot spots’ 
Prioritize older multi-unit buildings, especially those housing vulnerable populations, for energy audits and retrofit financing for combined heating & cooling systems (e.g. electric heat pumps)
Work with CMHC to refinance the zero interest loan program for home and building energy retrofits

Promote and increase the uptake of the Eco-Roof Incentive Program in communities that need to reduce heat and flooding risks. The program supports the installation of green roofs and cool roofs on buildings across the city. The Eco-Roof Incentive Program is self-sustaining since its funding comes from cash-in-lieu paid to Toronto by the Green Roof Bylaw.

Maintain the Toronto Green Standard for new buildings, improve building waste reduction standards in future versions, and advocate for it to apply to all buildings and major additions
Work with Toronto Hydro to expand and build local renewable energy projects, electric battery storage, and building retrofits

Expand Toronto’s building retrofit programs, including the Hi-RIS and HELP programs to help homeowners and building owners reduce their emissions. This pay as you save program is self financing. Olivia will work to ensure renters are protected from renovictions or rent increases related to green retrofits, and will ensure new City-built affordable housing is climate safe and ready for a net-zero future.

Work to ensure all Torontonians have easy access to waste diversion programs, such as recycling and organic waste collection, no matter what kind of home or building they live in.

Ahead of their time, Olivia and Jack retrofitted their home by installing solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling, and more. Watch this throwback video of her home: 

Read more:
https://www.oliviachow.ca/climatefriendlybuildings