Mr. Speaker, over the last few months, I have heard from the residents of Whitby about how they want to see bold action on addressing climate change as we move toward economic recovery. I want to take this opportunity to highlight and congratulate Whitby town staff for their Herculean efforts over many months to develop the Whitby green standard.
Whitby town council just last week voted unanimously to pass this standard, becoming the first town outside of the city of Toronto to implement such a standard, a standard that raises the bar on all new development in Whitby. We know that, nationwide, buildings account for 21% of our emissions, and in the GTHA, buildings make up over double that amount.
As our cities and towns continue to expand and grow, we need to ensure our buildings are built to 21st-century standards. There is so much we can do when we hold ourselves to the highest standards and work together. Whitby town council has shown leadership, and my hope is that communities across Canada will follow suit by putting sustainability at the centre of urban planning and development.