Canada is a highly urbanized country with ambitious climate mitigation targets, and yet an ever-growing population will require increased housing – typically through urban infill land intensification or expansion into greenfields for residential developments that results in the loss of green infrastructure.
Urban greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions make up 42% of Canada’s total emissions. What is poorly understood, however, are the contributions from urban green infrastructure – trees, vegetation, wetlands, water bodies and aquatic systems – to mitigating the impacts of climate change.
The RISE project aims to better understand the longer-term impacts of urban residential developments on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and seeks to measure the effectiveness of GHG mitigation efforts of green infrastructure.
Working with our partners, including municipalities and land developers, our hope is to create positive change within the residential planning and development sector that will lead to increased green infrastructure for more sustainable urban development.
News
Provinces push to eliminate federal environmental safeguards
In an article for Canada’s National Observer, Principal Investigator Michael Drescher says federal environmental laws remain the only meaningful barrier for protecting ecosystems amidst development.
Ontario’s Bill 5 special economic zones cause for concern, say RISE team members
Co-Principal Investigator Rebecca Rooney and Lead Principal Investigator Michael Drescher draw attention to potential impacts of special economic zones on local ecosystems
Proposed Bill 5 will harm Ontario’s economy, not protect it, says RISE co-Principal Investigator Dawn Parker
In an opinion piece published in Waterloo Region Record and The Niagara Falls Review, Prof. Parker sounds the alarm on the proposed bill.