The switch flipped on Canada’s first municipal trigeneration system on March 7th at the City’s Exhibition Place. This innovative system combines electricity generation with heat and cooling production. The highly efficient system will service three large buildings and help reduce demand for coal-fired electricity generation. Funding partners include the City of Toronto and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. Once fully operational, Exhibition Place’s trigeneration system will meet 30 percent of its energy needs, save $30 million in energy costs over time, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7,400 tonnes annually.

TAF provided $80,000 in 2002 for a feasibility study and loaned $1 million for construction of this trigeneration system.

TAF provided $60,000 in 2005 to help develop the Sacred Spaces Program.
www.faith-commongood.net.

In his inaugural address to Council on December 5th, Mayor David Miller announced a key pillar of his vision for Toronto: “I want to cut smog pollutants in the air we breathe by 20 percent within six years. We'll implement a tough anti-smog plan, and we'll develop a climate change program for Toronto. . . Reducing greenhouse gases is THE issue of our time. Maybe of all time.” The Mayor will announce preliminary options for a Toronto Climate Action Plan in March, with public consultation to follow to help finalize the Plan. Read the Mayor’s full inaugural address at: www.toronto.ca/mayor_miller/index.htm.

On February 20th the City of Toronto’s Parks and Environment Committee heard from local experts about how it could create a strong Climate and Clean Air Plan. The City was urged to “Think Big” to reduce emissions from cars and trucks, and from residential and commercial energy use. Mary Pickering, TAF’s Associate Director, was on hand to present preliminary results from an inventory of the City’s emissions that provides useful insights into emission sources and trends. Click here to access all the ideas and advice the Committee received from seven local presenters, including Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health.

The C40 is a group of the world's largest cities committed to tackling climate change. Building on the first large cities climate summit hosted by the Mayor of London in October 2005, the C40 cities will meet again in New York in May 2007. Mayor David Miller will help lead the opening plenary. Partnering with the Bill Clinton Foundation, the C40 aims to reduce carbon emissions and increase energy efficiency in large cities across the world. 

In November 2006, the Toronto Community Foundation awarded Phil Jessup, TAF’s Executive Director, its Vital People award for his 16-year contribution to municipal climate change policy and activities in Toronto. Phil plans to use the funds from the award to photograph the impacts of climate change on the Inuit. With recent major photo exhibits under his belt in Toronto, London, England, and Cologne, Germany, Phil hopes to mount exhibits of his Arctic survey in 2008 as a part of the International Polar Year. Phil will pack his cameras and head north this coming June. You can contact Phil at (416) 392-0253 or at pjessup@tafund.org.

TAF also welcomes Tim Stoate, who started in January to fill TAF’s newly created position of Associate Director – Mandate-Related Finance. Tim brings 20 years of lending experience, which he will apply in brokering investment and lending of up to $8 million of TAF’s funds to advance emission reduction activity in the City. You can contact Tim at (416) 393-6368 or at tstoate@tafund.org.

Tune In! TAF’s innovative programs will be featured on CBC Television’s The National on Monday, March 12th as part of a feature on what Canadian cities are doing to address climate change.