Environment and Sustainability
More
Town of Whitby
The Town of Whitby has made a commitment to environmental sustainability for the benefit of our community. View the sustainability initiatives the Town has to offer, including green development standard.
Upcoming Events
Loading Calendar Feed...
Sustainability Plan
In order to ensure Whitby addresses all areas of sustainability, we've developed a Sustainability Plan. This plan follows the One Planet Living Framework; an international framework that consists of ten simple principles to ensure we address all aspects of sustainability including social, environmental and economic sustainability.
Each year, we write a report to assess how we are doing to meet the goals outlined in the Sustainability Plan:
- 2019/2020 Annual Report
- 2020/2021 Annual Report
- 2021/2022 Annual Report
- 2022/2023 Annual Report
- 2023 Annual Report
Contact us to view an accessible version of the Sustainability Plan and annual reports.
Nature, Trees and Greenscaping
Nature provides important environmental, social and economic benefits. These benefits include cleaning the air we breathe, helping us fight climate change and beautifying our community. Review our programs that help best maintain and protect these natural assets:
|
Pollinators |
|
Approximately 75% of all flowering plants depend on bees and other pollinators. Canada is home to over 1,000 species of pollinators, but these populations are threatened by:
Bees aren't the only pollinators that need our help. Other pollinators include:
Find out how the Town of Whitby is helping protect pollinators in our community. Pollinator gardensTo help increase habitat for pollinator species, we are committed to planting native plants to diversify the existing pollinator habitat across the community. Pollinator Gardens and meadows can be found at: Whitby as a Bee CityThe Town of Whitby is a designated Bee City. This is awarded to municipalities that make a declaration to protect pollinators and their habitat through action and education. Urban BeehiveThe Town of Whitby has installed an urban beehive on the rooftop of Town Hall thanks to support from Elexicon Energy. This beehive demonstrates the Town's commitment to protecting local pollinators.
Mayors Monarch PledgeThe Town of Whitby has taken the Mayors Monarch Pledge through the National Wildlife Federation to help protect monarch butterflies. By taking the Mayor's Monarch Pledge, Whitby has committed to both restoring habitat in the community and encouraging and education citizens on how they can help. |
Sustainable Transportation
Transportation is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and poor air quality. To reduce this impact, the Town of Whitby is committed to encouraging the transition to more sustainable modes of transportation. Learn more about our sustainable transportation initiatives:
- Idling vehicles
- Active Transportation Plan
- Fleet Master Plan
|
Electric vehicle charging stations |
|
The Town of Whitby currently has nineteen (19) electric vehicle (EV) charging stations that were installed in 2021 as part of the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP) administered by Natural Resources Canada. Between their installation in December 2021 and December 2023 there have been 2,680 charging sessions at these stations. These sessions have saved 12, 816 liters of gasoline and 27.4 tCO2e greenhouse gas emissions. These chargers are at the following locations:
To support the operation of these charging stations the Town will be developing policies including:
SponsorsThank you to our sponsors for supporting sustainable transportation through EV charging infrastructure.
|
Waste, Litter and Recycling
The Town of Whitby provides curbside residential waste collection services to Whitby residents. This includes garbage, green bin organics, yard waste, and a special collection program for bulky items, metal goods, porcelain and electronic waste .
The Town is also committed to keep the community clean, litter free and promote the reduction of waste. Programs to support this goal includes:
|
|
Local Food
Whitby is dedicated to supporting local food opportunities. By supporting local food we can become more self sufficient as well as support local farmers and increase access to healthy food. Check out our local food initiatives and find out how you can participate:
- Community gardens
- Farmers' Market
- Growing Resilience - Durham Region Agriculture Sector Climate Adaptation Strategy
Climate Change and Extreme Weather
The Town of Whitby has declared a climate emergency and is working to develop policy to combat climate change. Review our climate change and extreme weather plans, reports and initiatives and learn more.
Water Quality, Storm Management And Flooding
Whitby delivers a number of initiatives to improve and maintain the health of our natural waterways as well as helping to protect our natural water based hazards:
- Flooding
- Stormwater management ponds
- Source water protection
Get involved
There are a variety of ways that you can get involved in our commitment to environmental sustainability.
|
Whitby Sustainability Advisory Committee |
|
Join Whitby's Sustainability Advisory Committee (WSAC), which promotes sustainability, supports environmental management and responds to climate change. This committee is a great way to get involved and help us reach our sustainable goals as a community. |
|
Community Events |
|
Contact us if you'd like to participate or sign up for one of our environmental events:
|
|
Adopt A Park, Trail Or Road |
|
Help keep our community clean through our Adopt a Park or Trail and Adopt a Road programs. Learn more and find out how you can get involved. |
Memberships And Affiliations
The Town of Whitby belongs to a variety of environment and sustainability programs and initiatives. Explore our memberships and affiliations:
Contact Us