Item - 2015.EX10.13

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council adopt the City of Toronto Declaration - The Right to a Healthy Environment, contained in Appendix A to the report (November 17, 2015) from the Chief Corporate Officer, to support the David Suzuki Foundation's Blue Dot Movement.

2.  City Council transmit the report (November 17, 2015) from the Chief Corporate Officer to the provincial Minister of Environment and request the Province of Ontario to review the Ontario Environmental Bill of Rights in order to improve its effectiveness in light of the recognition in its preamble that "people of Ontario have a right to a healthful environment".

3.  City Council transmit the report (November 17, 2015) from the Chief Corporate Officer to the federal Minister of the Environment and Climate Change and request the Government of Canada to undertake actions that formally recognize that all Canadians have the right to live in a healthy environment.

4.  City Council transmit the report (November 17, 2015) from the Chief Corporate Officer to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, and the David Suzuki Foundation.

Toronto’s long and robust history of environmental and health protection has made it a leading example of sustainability amongst municipalities. Toronto City Council has enacted many long-term strategies and plans that work together to achieve its vision of a clean, green and sustainable city. Toronto’s initiatives in urban planning, transportation, energy, food, water, waste, and other issues all contribute to the quality of Toronto’s environment and the health of its residents.

The David Suzuki Foundation is working with cities across Canada to recognize the right to a healthy environment. This campaign, called the Blue Dot Movement, has the ultimate goal of seeing environmental rights enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Achieving this goal begins with municipal declarations recognizing their citizens’ right to a healthy environment, to serve as calls to action for provincial and federal governments to strengthen environment rights legislation. As of October 2015, 95 municipalities in Canada, including 23 in Ontario, have adopted such declarations. Over 3,000 Toronto residents have shown their support for the Blue Dot Movement by signing a petition calling on the City of Toronto to recognize their right to a healthy environment.

Toronto can show its support for the Blue Dot Movement and demonstrate its continued leadership in environmental sustainability by adopting its own declaration recognizing the right to a healthy environment. This report recommends that City Council adopt a Toronto declaration for the right to a healthy environment. This is a public pronouncement that Toronto cares about the environment and the health of its residents. It reflects the vision in Council's Strategic Plan and complements the goals of many Council-adopted policies, strategies and plans. By adopting this declaration, Council reaffirms Toronto's commitment to building a healthy and sustainable city.