Transportation

The transportation sector generates 37% of the GTHA’s emissions and is the second highest-emitting sector in the region after buildings.

Apart from the 2020 global pandemic, transportation emissions have increased each year since 2015, when TAF began conducting regional carbon emissions inventories. In 2024, emissions increased 1% from 20.0 megatonnes to 20.2 megatonnes. 

Transportation emissions increased in Durham (up 1.5%), Hamilton (up 2.1%), Toronto (up 2.7%), and York (up 0.3%). Halton and Peel saw slight decreases of 0.3% and 0.5%, respectively.

On a per capita basis, transportation emissions decreased 3.1% across the GTHA, ranging from a low of 1.7 tonnes per person in Toronto to a high of 3.5 tonnes per person in York.

Commuting is a major source of transportation emissions, and these emissions declined sharply in 2020, in part due to the widespread adoption of work-from-home policies. However, a growing shift toward return-to-office mandates is making it increasingly difficult to reduce transportation-related emissions. The provincial government’s directive requiring all Ontario Public Sector employees to return to the office full-time beginning in January 2026 will affect over 60,000 workers and may set a precedent for similar policies in other workplaces. This will likely have an emissions impact.

A total of 98,866 Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) were registered in the GTHA in 2024, representing a 34% increase over 2023. In addition, a total of 30,320 Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) were registered (up 41%). This is a trend in the right direction, but as total EVs still make up a relatively small portion of total vehicle registrations, it is crucial that EV adoption continues to be accelerated through supportive policies and incentive programs. EV charging availability must also continue to ramp up to keep pace, particularly in multi-unit residential buildings where charging access has lagged behind other building types.

TAF analyzes transit ridership data from all agencies operating across the six GTHA regions. In 2024, ridership grew by 9%. Compared to 2021, when passenger volumes hit a pandemic-induced low, it has increased by more than 130%. Despite this strong recovery, ridership remains 13% below pre-pandemic levels in 2019.