Photo by Ashim D?Silva on Unsplash
The David Suzuki Fund and The Atmospheric Fund are among organizations calling for the government to  amend the More Homes Built Faster Act, Bill 23, in order to maintain environmental protections as well as keeping Toronto’s Green Building Standard in full force.
“Bill 23 will greatly reduce environmental protection for wetlands, woodlands and other sensitive green spaces, and prohibit conservation authorities from protecting these areas. It will leave vast swathes of Ontario?s few remaining and most important habitats largely unprotected,” writes the David Suzuki Foundation. “It will also drive low-density, sprawling development in the suburbs and weaken Toronto?s Green Standard, which is essential for the city to lower its building emissions.If we really want to address the housing crisis, we need well-designed, low-cost family homes and climate-friendly communities supported by transit.” The Atmospheric Fund writes that: “Municipalities have carefully crafted green standards to ensure new construction is environmentally, socially, and economically responsible. These requirements support their climate commitments, reduce the burden on our strained electricity system, and generate local economic value. The More Homes Built Faster Act (Bill-23), which is being fast-tracked through the Ontario legislature, will take away their authority and inadvertently undermine the affordability benefits that...