For your skimming pleasure, I present "Change is in the Air: Toronto's Commitment to an Environmentally Sustainable Future," that city's brand-spanking new combined climate action/air quality plan. There's an overview here, and some griping about how it's all hot air talk here.
From my almost surely industry-deadened perspective, this looks like an ambitious start, with plenty to fill in over the next forty years (the plan calls on Toronto to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050). I'd like to point to a couple of things that I found pretty nifty.
First, it must be said that they have a strong base to work from. There are several "completes" and "implements" in their action section that suggest Toronto's going to have an easier job getting to their targets than a lot of other places. That's the virtue of starting early.
Second, it builds on local resources. It does so most explicitly when it promotes substitution of locally produced goods for imported ones. However, local resources lurk in other places, such as using its Local Large Water Body as a source of cooling energy.
Third, it's kind of tucked in at the end, but I find it interesting that it calls for direct engagement with existing neighorhood planning efforts, tying climate change directly into what they do. Given that compact development is an important strategy for reducing transportation emissions, and neighbors are a primary opponent of densification, that's an important step.
All in all, an interesting start, with ambitious goals. One thing that I'd like to see a little more strongly is a sort of environmental SWOT -- Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats -- assessment, making explicit what tools the city has for reducing its emissions, and what obstacles its likely to face. In fact, not coincidentally, I think such an analysis would be a great thing for Springfield to do.