Halton
Halton includes the City of Burlington and the towns of Oakville, Milton, and Halton Hills.
Total 2024 carbon emissions: 5.0 MtCO2eq
% of GTHA carbon emissions: 9%
Population (2024): 635,589
% of GTHA population: 8%
Land Area: 966 km2
2024 Regional Insights
Halton Region Total Emissions, 2018-2024
Total emissions increased by 4.7% and reached the highest level since TAF began quantifying emissions in 2015. The building sector (up 8.4%) was the biggest driver of this increase.
Halton Region Per Capita Emissions, 2018-2024
Per capita emissions increased by 2.4% reaching 7.8 tonnes of carbon per person.
Halton Region 2024 Emissions by Sector
- Building emissions from natural gas (up 6.2%) and electricity (up 28.5%), account for 58% of Halton’s total emissions.
- Natural gas consumption in Halton’s buildings decreased by 5% in the residential sector and 2% in the commercial sector, whereas the industrial sector saw a 16% increase.
- Halton has the second highest per capita weather-normalized natural gas emissions across the GTHA after Hamilton, at 4.2 tonnes of carbon per person.
- While electricity consumption increased by 2.7%, electricity emissions increased by nearly 29%, primarily driven by the increasing carbon intensity of the provincial electricity grid.
- Total electric vehicle registrations in Halton saw a moderate increase of 39% compared to 2023, with 12,900 EVs and 3,977 PHEVs registered.
- In 2024, the region experienced a 20% growth in transit ridership based on Burlington, Milton and Oakville Transit data.
2024 Municipal Insights
- Building emissions are the largest source of emissions in Burlington, Oakville, and especially in Halton Hills, while transportation is the largest source in Milton.
- In Halton Hills, the high level of natural gas emissions is primarily attributed to the industrial sector.
- Natural gas emissions decreased in Burlington (down 5%), Milton (down 4%), and Oakville (down 7%). Halton Hills experienced a significant increase of 20% in natural gas emissions, largely due to an increase in industrial building emissions.
- Transportation emissions increased in Milton (up 3%), while Oakville saw a reduction (down 3%) and Burlington experienced a more modest decrease of 0.6%. There was virtually no change in Halton Hills.
- All Halton municipalities saw an increase in EV registrations, with Milton leading (up 40%), followed closely by Oakville and Burlington (up 39%). PHEV registrations also increased 32 - 40% across the region.
- In 2024, Milton Transit recorded the highest ridership growth, up 73% compared to 2023. Ridership is now 78% higher than 2019 levels. Other Halton transit agencies also reported gains, with Oakville Transit up 15% and Burlington Transit up 10%.
Halton Municipalities 2024 Emissions by Sector (tCO2eq)
| Pop. | Electricity | Natural Gas | Transportation | Industry | Waste | Agriculture | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington | 199,153 | 464,692 | 111,585 | 554,799 | 18,580 | 46,764 | 4,009 | 1,200,430 |
| Halton Hills | 67,061 | 1,317,317 | 37,732 | 224,724 | 0 | 15,747 | 18,473 | 1,613,993 |
| Milton | 141,661 | 257,362 | 72,002 | 462,856 | 74,605 | 33,264 | 13,214 | 913,303 |
| Oakville | 227,715 | 510,641 | 125,142 | 493,208 | 61,005 | 53,470 | 2,222 | 1,245,688 |
Spotlight in Halton
- Burlington updated its 2024-2029 Corporate Energy and Emissions Management Plan with targets for 2029 and a path to achieving net carbon neutrality for corporate emissions by 2040.
- The Federal government is investing nearly $14M to modernize Burlington's public transit and active transportation infrastructure over the next 10 years, including increasing transit frequency.
- Halton Hills council approved the Greener Homes Halton Hills project offering homeowners free one-on-one energy coaching and access to an online energy assessment tool to identify effective retrofit options.
- Oakville Transit is electrifying its fleet with 15 new Nova LFSE+ electric buses, supported by a $66.7M joint investment from the federal and provincial governments and the Town of Oakville. This work is part of Oakville's broader efforts of achieving net-zero by 2050, targeting a 50% electric fleet by 2026 while reducing emissions and modernizing infrastructure.
Policy Tracker
Done
Exists at Another Level
In Progress
Not Initiated
| Green Development Standards | Building Performance Standards | Clean Transportation Initiatives | Home Retrofit Programs | Clean Grid | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halton | |||||
| Halton Hills | |||||
| Burlington | |||||
| Milton | |||||
| Oakville |