More than 100 stakeholders from across the City attended the session and discussed what their 'ideal Toronto' would look like in 20 years. A central element of the future envisioned by the participants was the concept of sustainability. The Green Economy Workgroup was the last to get started and was assigned the task of addressing important sustainability issues that had not been covered by the preceding workgroups. Because the Workgroup lacked internal City staff resources, the group functioned as a steering committee rather than a workgroup and relied on independent consultants for research and coordination, and an external stakeholder consultation process to provide feedback. The recommendations of partners, programs, and actions were developed with the input of comprehensive literature reviews, relevant case studies from both Toronto and the world, members of the Green Economy Workgroup, the stakeholder consultation process, and the professional experience of the report authors.
Energy is an important input into the economy.
However, its use can create serious environmental problems if not managed wisely. Regardless of prices, energy use has cost implications for businesses within the city. To achieve its environmental objectives, the City should follow a path of reducing energy consumption over time while at the same time increasing energy efficiency and productivity. The Green Economy Plan was written and commissioned between August and October of 1999. Some of the recommendations tabled require more detailed, less time-constrained research to be undertaken, and others are based on data that may, in some case, be ten years old.