Malloum Abakardid
"Measure and publish. A 2050 target only works if progress is reported every year, by sector, with what slipped and why. I'd ask council to receive that report annually and act on the gaps."
Laine Johnson
"Reaching net zero by 2050 is going to require much more than reducing emissions from City operations. We need to be honest about where we are today, understand where the biggest sources of emissions are, and then focus our efforts on the changes that will have the greatest impact.
One thing I pushed for was better access to the greenhouse gas emissions data for our local communities. When the updated data was released in 2025, it highlighted just how much work remains to be done. If we are serious about meeting our 2050 target, we need to be able to see clearly where emissions are coming from and whether the actions we are taking are actually moving the numbers in the right direction.
The City has important tools at its disposal. We need to continue moving toward a lower-emission transit fleet, improve public transit so that people can realistically choose it over driving, and support programs that help residents reduce emissions from their homes. Programs like the Better Homes Loan Program are exactly the kind of practical tools we should be looking at expanding.
But we also need to recognize that a significant part of Ottawa’s emissions comes from choices and development outside of City operations. We need to make it easier for residents to drive less by providing reliable transit and better alternatives, while also pushing for buildings that are designed with energy efficiency and emissions reduction in mind.
These priorities require working with developers rather than treating these as separate issues.
There are also limits to what the City can accomplish on its own. Transportation, building standards and energy policy involve all three levels of government, so Ottawa needs to use the tools we have while continuing to push the provincial and federal governments to do their part. That reason, along with countless other financial and jurisdictional challenges, was why I ensured the ring road idea was defeated at council. If the province wants to tell farmers their land will be expropriated for a new highway, they are welcome to take the lead on that, as it would be a provincial project. I would rather our planners put their efforts into local projects that show immediate benefit to local residents.
For me, the key is making sure our climate targets are connected to measurable action in the community. Tracking our emissions is important, but the goal cannot simply be to produce better data. We need to use that data to identify where we can make the biggest reductions, invest in the programs that help residents make those changes, and keep measuring whether we are actually getting there."