Ontario Construction News staff writer
The City of Guelph’s new corporate climate action plan calls for deep energy retrofits of existing municipal facilities and the construction of all new city buildings to zero-carbon standards as part of a $247-million roadmap to cut more than 10,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2035.
The plan, focused on buildings, fleet vehicles, infrastructure systems and internal policies the municipality directly manages, outlines how the city will reduce energy use, lower emissions and strengthen long-term climate resilience across its operations.
High-performance buildings are central to the strategy. The city plans to complete deep energy retrofits on existing facilities and ensure new municipal buildings are designed and built to meet zero-carbon standards. The roadmap also includes expanded rooftop solar installations on municipal buildings and exploration of a large-scale solar project at the Eastview landfill.
“Climate change is already affecting how local government operates and the services people count on every day,” said Bryan Ho-Yan, manager of energy and climate change at the City of Guelph. “This report identifies key areas where the municipality can invest to make measurable progress, as well as where we need to accelerate action.”
In addition to building upgrades, the Corporate Climate Action Plan identifies several other priority areas:
- low-emission fleet vehicles.
- energy-efficient process equipment, including modernization of solid waste and wastewater systems to reduce energy consumption and expand renewable energy production.
- renewable energy generation through additional rooftop solar and landfill-based solar development.
- policies and standards, including strengthened corporate energy management practices, maintaining the city’s ISO 50001 certification and establishing consistent building temperature standards.
The city says significant emissions reductions are achievable under the plan, although implementation will extend beyond 2030. Achieving Guelph’s per-capita emissions reduction target will require sustained investment and action across departments.
Since 2018, the City of Guelph’s energy use has declined by 17 per cent, with approximately 20 to 25 per cent of municipal energy now coming from renewable sources. Annual corporate per-capita emissions have dropped 11 per cent over the same period, despite population growth and increased service demands.
Guelph has committed to the United Nations Race to Zero campaign and a goal of becoming a net-zero carbon community by 2050. A Community Call to Climate Action report released in May 2025 outlined steps for residents and businesses to support that target.
The new corporate plan charts how the municipality intends to achieve more than 10,000 tonnes in emissions reductions from its own operations by 2035, with buildings and infrastructure upgrades forming the backbone of the construction-related work ahead.
