Researchers at the University of Waterloo studied 38 municipalities in Ontario, representing more than two-thirds of the population, and discovered that almost all municipalities publish their sustainability and climate change goals, but under half are formally reporting on their progress.
Municipalities are a key part of the equation for Canada to achieve its ambitious climate action targets, but the significant gap between planning and reporting makes it difficult for the public and stakeholders to stay up to date with performance, whether good or bad.
“Citizens can go online and see the financial performance of a municipality,” said Leah Feor, PhD candidate in the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development. “But they would have to dig around to see how the operations and policies of the municipality are contributing to sustainable development and climate action. It’s not always easy to find.”