York Region continues progress toward net-zero despite rising emissions pressures
Newmarket – York Regional Council received an update on The Regional Municipality of York’s 2025 corporate greenhouse gas emissions and energy costs.
“As our communities grow and service demands increase, maintaining strong momentum toward our net-zero goal remains a priority,” said Eric Jolliffe, York Region Chairman and CEO. “Through ongoing investments in electrification, energy efficiency and high-performance design, York Region continues to make meaningful progress and is looking to be more adaptable to help achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.”
York Region’s 2025 Corporate Energy Update includes:
- Fleet electrification efforts avoided approximately 500 tonnes of emissions that would otherwise have added to 2025 totals
- Electric buses avoided 310 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in 2025, and 75 battery electric buses were added to the transit fleet; an additional 50 buses are scheduled for delivery in late 2026
- Light-duty vehicle fuel efficiency improved by 23% since 2021
- Corporate emissions increased by 6,400 tonnes in 2025, representing an 8% rise over 2024
- Emission increases were driven by service growth and weather impacts, with expanded service levels contributing 3,850 tonnes and weather-related energy use contributing 2,550 tonnes
“York Region continues to prioritize a conservation-first approach, with electrification playing a central role in reducing reliance on fossil fuels,” said City of Richmond Hill Mayor David West, Chair of Public Works – Environmental Services. “We are seeing steady reductions in emissions and diesel use while supporting reliable transit and Regional operations. While some solutions will take longer to deliver, ongoing efforts in energy efficiency and decarbonization will pay off in the long run and help protect the environment.”
Most corporate emissions are from fossil fuel consumption (gasoline, diesel fuel and natural gas). Innovations to electrify vehicles and buildings are one of the fastest growing areas of climate change mitigation technology, proving to be a vital path toward net-zero emissions.
York Region also continues to implement innovative solutions with partners to reduce emissions and improve energy efficiency through projects including the Wastewater Energy Transfer Project in the City of Markham. This project is North America’s largest system of its kind that will deliver low-carbon heating and cooling with thermal energy.
York Region’s Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan and Climate Change Action Plan continue to guide efforts toward achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Learn more at york.ca/Energy
The Regional Municipality of York consists of nine local cities and towns and provides a variety of programs and services to more than 1.3 million residents and over 58,000 businesses with 624,000 employees. More information about the Region’s key service areas is available at york.ca/RegionalServices
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Media Contact:
Stephanie Crowley, Corporate Communications,
The Regional Municipality of York
Email: @email
Phone: 289-763-2598
