City of Markham, Ontario plans to become net-zero by 2050

The city of Markham has set a goal of becoming a net-zero energy, water, waste and emissions municipality by 2050.

This means the city will have to reduce 1.8 million tonnes of greenhouse gas currently being emitted down to zero.

Markham is centrally located in the Greater Toronto area.

It is a municipality with 350,000 residents, and home to over 400 corporate head offices and more than 1,100 high tech and life science companies.

The city details this new endeavor in its comprehensive long-term city-wide energy plan, stating that “the municipal energy plan will improve energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gasses in established and new community areas.”

“Thinking green means thinking ahead,” said the city’s mayor, Frank Scarpitti, in a recent LinkedIn update.

“It is ambitious, but Markham is well positioned to achieving that goal, with some of the best recycling rates in the country, a leading municipal solar rooftop portfolio and innovative pilots like Alectra Drive for Workplace.”

This might just be a new trend for cites in Ontario after Guelph’s council committee voted unanimously—13 to 0 to transition the city to 100 percent renewable by 2050—a step beyond the city’s net zero carbon goal.