The same week Prime Minister Mark Carney announced billions for an infrastructure program designed to reduce Ontario housing costs, Premier Doug Ford proposed new laws to drive them even lower at the expense of our climate. 

Ford’s proposed new legislation will eliminate the requirement for cities to set greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution reduction goals and could even remove existing tools they have to promote green building. The province argues the changes are necessary to lower housing development costs.

The Ontario government of course failed to mention that buildings account for about a third of the province's planet-heating GHG emissions. So, slowing the pace of climate-friendly steps like requiring electric vehicle chargers in new buildings and eliminating gas heating would have a significant negative impact. Coming at a time of stagnating housing costs and on the heels of a generous $4.4 billion federal gift that will purportedly save up to $200,000 in taxes and fees on the cost of a new home, the provincial government’s justification for chipping away at municipal climate efforts seems awfully thin.

Climate NGO Stand.earth was quick to posit a theory about why Ford wants to keep Ontario buildings in the “stone........

© National Observer