Environment
Environment represents our role in environmental stewardship to reduce corporate greenhouse gas emissions and energy use, protect and improve our green spaces, and support community climate change action.
View our most recent progress on the strategic initiatives (SIs) and key performance indicators (KPIs) that make up the Future Guelph Strategic Plan. Our strategic initiatives each have an overall status based on the status of their scope, schedule, and budget. Under the strategic initiatives there are several key performance indicators (KPIs) that measure progress towards the overall goals.
Strategic Initiatives (SIs) Legend:
Green – On Track
Yellow – At Risk
Red – Off Track
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Legend:
Green – Met Target
Yellow – Near Target
Red – Did Not Meet Target
9. Be A Leader In Climate Action
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
10. Empower The Community To Help Create A Sustainable City
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
2025 highlights
Expanding Guelph’s tree canopy
In 2025, the City brought its annual tree giveaway program in house, building on previous Take Root events delivered in partnership with Forests Canada. The Community Tree Giveaway gave residents the opportunity to receive up to two free native trees for their property. Of the 1,200 trees available, nearly all were reserved during pre-registration, and…
Supporting youth-led climate action
In 2025, the City invested in youth-led climate initiatives through the Youth Climate Action Fund. Approximately $45,000 was distributed to nine local projects focused on sustainability and climate resilience. This marked Guelph’s second year participating in the global program, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies. As one of a limited number of Canadian municipalities selected, the City…
Supporting a circular food economy
In 2025, the City received $500,000 from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Green Municipal Fund to support efforts to reduce food waste. The funding supports three pilot initiatives: Food redistribution: Captures surplus edible food and redistributes it to local charitable organizations using the B12Give platform. Organics collection: Expands a cooperative model for organics collection in…
Lighting the stage sustainably: River Run Centre goes solar
The City has advanced its renewable energy infrastructure with the installation of a new solar photovoltaic (PV) system at the River Run Centre. This is an important step in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting corporate climate action goals. The newly installed solar PV system has a total generation capacity of 164 kw, making it…
City outlines roadmap for community climate action
Hotter summers, longer heatwaves and more severe storms are already affecting life in Guelph. These changes increase costs, impact health and put added pressure on community infrastructure. The City’s Community Call to Climate Action outlines practical steps to reduce emissions and improve affordability and resilience across the community. Key actions include: Homeowners can adopt efficient…
Supporting water conservation in local businesses
Through the City’s Water Smart Business program, Gay Lea Foods reduced water use at its Guelph facility by more than 60,000 litres per day. Working with the program, the company identified opportunities to improve efficiency, including replacing its reverse osmosis system. These upgrades now save nearly 22,000 cubic metres of water each year. This is…