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With the Ontario election less than a week away, all four major parties have released platforms, offering a glimpse at their plans for the province.
In the wake of Ontario’s Greenbelt scandal, which has put a spotlight on the need to protect farmland and green space, and in the midst of a provincial push towards electrification, all of the parties are considering the environment in the context of broad socio-economic issues, such as jobs and housing.
But there’s a lot missing from these plans, too: few are talking about how their party would support workers to transition away from jobs tied to fossil fuels, and there is a lack of focused policies to address air, land and water pollution — a growing health crisis in various Ontario communities.
Before the 2025 Ontario election platforms were made public, The Narwhal surveyed each party on eight pertinent issues. The Liberals, Greens and NDP responded — the Progressive Conservatives did not.
Of the few proposals that could help address the impacts of climate change, details are often vague or the purpose appears to be reversing something the incumbent Progressive Conservatives did (a political shot, in other words). Like the Liberals taking words out of federal Conservative mouths and suggesting they’ll “axe Doug Ford’s carbon tax” — by which, we confirmed, they do mean the federal consumer carbon tax that’s in place because the Ford government didn’t come up with its own adequate version.
Also unclear is how each party would fund any of these proposals. The Liberals say they’ll find billions of dollars in “efficiencies.” Both the NDP and Greens promise new tax measures, largely affecting high-income earners and high-end property owners, and savings from cancelling Ford’s promises to build Highway 413 and the controversial lakefront Toronto spa, Ontario Place. The Progressive Conservatives have not released details of how they would fund any of their promises if re-elected.
Based on their responses, plans and what we know about each party’s records, here’s a look at how the major Ontario parties would address eight big questions about the environment and climate change.
You can read the plans here: Progressive Conservatives. Liberals. NDP. Greens.
Progressive Conservatives: Over its tenure, the Ford government has invested little in adaptation efforts and has made no new promises on this front. In 2020, the government commissioned a two-year study — the first of its kind by any province — of how the climate crisis was impacting every sector and community. The government did not widely share or discuss the report, even though it called for urgent action. Internal documents obtained by The Narwhal show the government asked researchers to downplay findings on how severely climate change will impact food, buildings and people.
In the Progressive Conservatives’ Ontario election platform, released Monday, the party promises to invest $530 million to buy six new waterbombers over the next 10 years to enhance the province’s firefighting abilities.
Liberals: The Ontario Liberals promise to reverse the Ford government’s funding cuts to conservation authorities, so the agencies are better able to mitigate and adapt to flooding. They also promise to increase and expand Ontario’s Disaster Recovery Assistance program, which provides financial help for emergency expenses and the costs to repair or replace essential property after a natural disaster that is not covered by insurance. The program was most recently activated by the Ford government last summer after record-breaking floods, with claims capped at $250,000, processed over several months. The Liberals also promise to speed up this process, recognizing that Ontario is “vulnerable to worsening climate disasters.”
NDP: If elected, the NDP told The Narwhal they would deliver a climate adaptation plan, something the Ford government did not release in all its years in office. (Although this is not listed officially in the NDP’s Ontario election platform.) In their response to The Narwhal, the NDP suggested their adaptation efforts would focus on infrastructure, which is increasingly strained by the impacts of climate change and getting costlier to repair. They promised to take on the costs of these repairs and not download them to municipalities, as the Ford government has done.
Greens: In their response, the Greens promise to protect the wetlands that act as a critical buffer to guard homes from flooding and other extreme weather events. Notably, they’d adopt a province-wide policy to increase protections for wetlands and reverse the Ford’s government’s changes that have weakened protections and the power of conservation authorities. They vow to cancel Highway 413 and prohibit any 400-series highways from being built in the Greenbelt, a critical carbon sink for the region that contains green space, farmlands and wetlands.
They’re also proposing zero-interest loans to help homeowners flood-proof their basements, and a predictable multi-year loan to support municipalities in shoring up their roads, bridges and buildings to be ready for the next torrential downpour.
Progressive Conservatives: After the Greenbelt scandal — along with the Ford government’s controversial and now reversed attempts at forcefully expanding urban boundaries into protected farmland and green space — it’s unclear how a re-elected Progressive Conservative government will simultaneously prioritize environmental protections and housing availability. Their latest housing policy, released in April 2024, focuses on building on already developable land, and their platform no longer mentions their long-repeated promise of building 1.5 million homes by 2031.
Liberals: In their response, the Liberals say they’ll cut the taxes associated with building homes to make them more affordable, and instead introduce a fund to help municipalities cover infrastructure costs, encouraging sustainable and affordable development. The fund will incentivize smart, sustainable growth by prioritizing purpose-built rentals, medium-density housing, higher-density housing along transit corridors and arterial roads and innovative solutions like prefabricated homes. They pledge to modernize building codes but don’t mention whether that includes green standards needed to ensure buildings are net-zero.
The Liberals also promise to focus on preserving sensitive ecosystems and Ontario’s rich biodiversity. This includes protecting 30 per cent of Ontario’s land and water by safeguarding the Greenbelt, expanding existing provincial parks (they specifically note Polar Bear Provincial Park on James Bay and Algonquin Park near Huntsville, Ont.), establishing new urban parks, supporting municipal tree planting and horticulture programs and preserving wetlands.
NDP: The NDP promise to increase density in transit corridors, focusing on building affordable medium-density housing options like semi-detached homes, townhomes, four-storey complexes and mid-rises. To do so, the party will create a new public agency to provide grants, low-cost financing, public land and other supports to enable construction of 300,000 affordable homes in 10 years in “vibrant, inclusive, pedestrian- and transit-friendly complete communities.” And they’ll support homeowners in installing low-cost electric-vehicle infrastructure.
Greens: The Greens propose to freeze urban boundaries and reverse the expansions the Ford government implemented, saying there’s enough space already to create new homes and neighbourhoods. Their plan prioritizes housing where roads and sewers already exist, rather than encouraging sprawl. They would place a minimum threshold for housing density around transit stations and along transit corridors as part of transit funding agreements, including affordable housing requirements. And they’d reinstate a fund for municipalities to safely build on brownfield sites, and remove barriers for building on abandoned commercial properties.
Progressive Conservatives: Though the Progressive Conservatives didn’t answer our survey, they’ve sometimes pitted the environment and the economy against each other. Ford in particular hinted at it in a debate on Feb. 17: “You believe in bike lanes and riding bikes and planting trees, I get it,” he said to the other party leaders. “But the problem is, you won’t be able to afford the trees because the economy will go down the tubes with all three of you.”
At times, Ford has also expressed disdain for environmental protection. In 2023, he called Ontario’s Greenbelt a “scam.” Last year, he dismissed environmental concerns about his government’s Highway 413 project, saying, “There’s hundreds of thousands of people stuck in their cars, backed up from here to Timbuktu, and you’re worried about a grasshopper jumping across a highway.” He’s also railed against federal protections for species at risk, telling a construction industry audience earlier this year that the highway is being held up “because a woodpecker has one tree. Last time I checked, a woodpecker can fly from one tree to another.” (In fact, the project has faced delays over wide-ranging environmental concerns, including its impacts on several species.)
Liberals: The Liberals say they will position Ontario as a leader in clean industry and resilient supply chains by driving investment into clean manufacturing, clean energy generation, resource-efficient industries and energy security. They promise to protect prime farmland and champion a sustainable agri-food sector by giving farmers the tools to deal with inflation, supply chain disruption, climate change and geopolitical instability. The Liberals’ Ontario election platform also pledges to “axe Doug Ford’s carbon tax,” which you (and we, at first) might have thought means the industrial carbon tax, as that’s the only one imposed by the Progressive Conservatives. The Liberals clarified with The Narwhal it refers to the consumer carbon tax the federal government applies to Ontarians (yes, the one the Ford government took the feds to court over imposing). The Liberals are calling this Doug Ford’s carbon tax because it’s imposed due to his lack of adequate policy in its place, and they plan to release a “Made in Ontario environmental action plan” instead.
NDP: The NDP told The Narwhal their approach is “less about ‘balancing’ some imagined trade-off between the environment and the economy, and more about ensuring that economic decisions don’t ignore the very real environmental costs and benefits.” No specifics were offered to show how the party would do this. The only notable thing in their platform in this regard is a promise to establish Ontario’s first Youth Climate Corps to help young people learn skills through green jobs.
Greens: In their response, the Greens said the climate crisis is a threat, but also an opportunity to create new, environmentally friendly jobs. The party’s plan includes tax credits for industries and businesses investing in decarbonizing, a fund to support startups working on lower-emissions technologies and a program that would allow heavy-polluting industries to partner with local clean technology companies on ways to lower their emissions.
It also includes plans to retrofit 40 per cent of Ontario’s existing jobs and workplaces by 2035, and 100 per cent by 2045, which the Greens said would create hundreds of thousands of new jobs. To ensure people are trained to fill those positions, the Greens would give 60,000 people seeking to work in the green economy a year of free college tuition, and a year of apprenticeship after they graduate. The party also says it would give colleges more funding so they can run programs that would be needed to train those workers.
Progressive Conservatives: There’s no question the Progressive Conservatives have been big on the drive for critical minerals used to build lower-emissions technology like electric vehicles. On the campaign trail in 2025 — and the 2022 and 2018 elections before that — Ford has put an emphasis on his desire to enable mining in the Ring of Fire region in the Far North, though he hasn’t always been completely honest about the details. Beyond that, the Tories have also been trying to facilitate a rush of new mining across northern Ontario. But have the Progressive Conservatives found a balance between mining, Indigenous Rights and environmental protection? Many First Nations say no — and although some nations have been on board with Ford’s efforts, others have raised concerns about the pace and environmental consequences of the push for minerals.
The Progressive Conservatives’ 2025 Ontario election platform includes a plan to designate areas with multiple critical mineral deposits, like the Ring of Fire, as “regions of strategic importance.” That designation allows the province to accelerate project permitting through various means, including granting qualified proponents “automatic approval to proceed with early works once they’ve met duty to consult obligations,” with the relevant provincial ministries, agencies and authorities continuing to oversee them. The Progressive Conservatives are also increasing the amount of funding put aside for Indigenous consultation, as well as participation in projects.
Following the debate on northern issues held on Feb. 14, Grand Chief of Mushkegowuk Council Leo Friday sent a letter to all party leaders noting that First Nations communities were not mentioned once in the discussion around critical minerals. “We recognize the urgency of Canada’s response to U.S. tariffs, including critical minerals and, particularly, the Ring of Fire. However, First Nations must not be excluded from this process,” Friday wrote. “Ontario cannot achieve its goals without working directly with the Mushkegowuk Nations.”
Liberals: The Liberals say they’ll take a responsible approach to critical mineral development — one that respects Indigenous Rights, protects land and water and ensures Ontario benefits from a clean economy. While their platform makes no mention of Indigenous Rights and reconciliation or critical mining, in their response to The Narwhal’s questions, they say they plan to expand and build high-potential mining projects by providing infrastructure financing guarantees in co-operation with local municipalities and Indigenous communities. If elected, they would partner with industry, skilled-trades and Indigenous nations to expand critical minerals processing capacity to create an end-to-end supply chain.
They also say they’d fast-track permitting for mining projects that have community benefit agreements or are at least 25 per cent Indigenous-owned.
NDP: A future NDP government will “be guided by a commitment to free, informed and prior consent regarding any policy decisions impacting First Nations,” the party said in their response to The Narwhal’s questions. Their Ontario election platform pledges to start a formal consultation process with the Matawa Tribal Council First Nations members, and other impacted First Nations, on decisions related to the Ring of Fire.
Greens: In their response to The Narwhal’s questions, the Greens said Ontario is too often imposing its decisions on First Nations instead of partnering with them. The party is the only one that promised to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Ontario — the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which among other things, would guarantee First Nations the right to free, prior and informed consent to resource extraction on their territories. (Both B.C. and the Northwest Territories have implemented the declaration.)
The Greens would also establish models for First Nations and the province to co-manage development and share revenues fairly. They’d create a “fair, open and independent” process for First Nations to resolve land claims, and recognize Indigenous laws and tradition when negotiating and implementing any agreements.
Progressive Conservatives: The Ford government has embarked on an “all of the above” approach when it comes to energy, opening the door, theoretically anyways, to all energy sources. The move is meant to address a shortfall in supply as we move towards electrification, and as our nuclear facilities, which provide most of our clean power, shut down for refurbishment. In practice, this has meant boosting natural gas, which they claim is a short-term measure, and making massive investments in new nuclear plants, like in Port Hope. The government has also launched a more robust version of an energy savings program it cancelled eight years ago and invested in energy storage projects.
In their Ontario election platform, the Progressive Conservatives double down on the need for more power, specifically mentioning “nuclear, hydroelectricity, natural gas and others,” noting particular investments in nuclear and hydro. They also promise to expand transmission lines both within the province and with Quebec and, interestingly, the United States — that’s despite Ford’s threat to withhold power from the states in response to tariffs. They also pledge to support oil and gas pipelines.
Notably, their platform also vows to review the mandates of the Ontario Energy Board and the Independent Electricity System Operator (which the platform spells incorrectly as the Independent Electricity Service Operator). Both are arms-length organizations that work independently to help manage and regulate the province’s electricity needs in line with the government’s objectives. Last year, the Ford government made the unprecedented decision to overrule the board after it directed Enbridge Gas to stop passing down the costs of new natural gas hookups to homeowners.
Liberals: If elected, the Liberals say they would transition Ontario’s electricity grid to a cleaner, more affordable and more reliable system by procuring 30,000 megawatts of clean electricity from nuclear, wind, solar and hydro power by 2040. They would also deliver a permanent tax credit worth 20 per cent of the installation cost of energy-saving technologies at home, such as heat pumps.
NDP: In response to The Narwhal’s questions, the NDP say they will “ensure an abundant supply of reliable and affordable energy” to reach a net-zero economy by 2050. They’ll do this by making “evidence-based and cost-effective investments” in clean energy. In their platform, they promise free or discounted electric heat pumps, offering rebates of up to $19,500, as well as additional retrofit support to renters and low-income households, and electric-vehicle rebates to all.
Greens: The Greens plan is to make it easier for people, farmers and businesses to connect renewable energy to the grid by investing in smart grid implementation, as well as innovations such as bi-directional electric-vehicle charging, peak demand programs and battery storage. They would end the moratorium on offshore wind energy and put community and individual monetary benefit agreements in place for people who live near wind farms. The Greens would maintain nuclear generation at Bruce and Darlington power plants and, ultimately, phase out gas plants by 2035.
Progressive Conservatives: The Ford government has already started boosting natural gas as a short-term solution to the energy supply shortfall, despite receiving advice from taxpayer-funded experts to move away from it.
Liberals: The Liberals would keep natural gas generation as a backup for peak demand and emergency situations, and explore new grid-balancing technologies.
NDP: The NDP did not directly answer the question.
Greens: The Ontario Greens pledge to phase out natural gas plants by 2035. Alternatively, they’d invest in renewable energy, like wind, solar and energy storage. They also plan to electrify transportation, buildings and industry to make the grid cleaner and more affordable.
Progressive Conservatives: The Ford government continues to be under scrutiny for the way it conducts government business. In the matter of the Greenbelt, the auditor general found political staff in the Ford government “regularly” deleted emails and used personal emails to conduct government business, which is against provincial guidelines. Although the government pledged to fix these issues, it also backslided elsewhere on transparency. The government refused to release mandate letters (previously made public) outlining the premier’s instructions to each minister. It also consistently failed to properly consult or inform Ontarians about major changes to environmental and energy policy. (Previous Liberal governments also failed to do this.)
Liberals: Within 30 days of forming government, the Liberals say they would launch a comprehensive investigation into several of the Ford government’s dealings, including the $8.3-billion Greenbelt scandal, $2.1-billion Ontario Place deal, the relocation of the Ontario Science Centre, the $1.9-billion beer sale payout, the shift of Service Ontario centres to Staples, $1 billion in private-nursing contracts and partisan patronage appointments. The Liberals also pledge to rip up the $100-million Starlink deal with Elon Musk.
NDP: A future Ontario NDP government will “end the secretive and corrupt two-tier planning system where favoured insiders can get preferential treatment.” They also promise a more transparent procurement process, more in-house expertise (instead of private consultants) and an end to public-private partnership projects like the Eglinton Crosstown light-rail transit project, which has been under construction for more than a decade.
Greens: The Ontario Greens say, only, “Ontarians deserve a government that is honest and transparent.”
Progressive Conservatives: Ford’s Progressive Conservatives have spent a lot of time on the campaign trail talking about their proposal to build a tunnelled expressway under Highway 401, stretching between the Toronto suburbs of Brampton and Mississauga. The Tories have also talked about building new routes, like Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass, both of which would run through Ontario’s Greenbelt. And in the fall, the Progressive Conservatives also passed a bill allowing the province to prevent the construction of new bike lanes that remove a lane of vehicle traffic, and get rid of existing bike lanes, taking aim at a select few in downtown Toronto. The language around that promise was sharpened in the party’s platform, confirming its plans for the three Toronto lanes and stating, “The province will veto and block any future municipal bike lanes that would eliminate a lane of vehicle traffic.”
Traffic experts have said none of those moves are likely to help the gridlock. Neither would removing tolls from Highway 407, a concept all of the parties have stood behind, although the details of those plans vary. Ford is also planning to let people drive faster on some highways, with a minimum speed limit of 110 kilometres per hour.
On the campaign trail, Ford pledged to bring Ottawa’s financially challenged transit service, OC Transpo, under the Crown corporation Metrolinx, which manages transit in the Greater Toronto Area. The platform confirms that position, and repeat’s Ford’s announcement of bringing back the Northlander bus route between Toronto and Cochrane. A few other transit projects made mention in the Progressive Conservatives’ platform, including expanded existing GO train routes, with more frequent service and a new stop in Bowmanville, as well as adding new lines entirely. They’re also offering cupholders on all trains, which is … nice.
Liberals: The Liberals say they support federal efforts to build the high-speed rail, and would increase two-way, all-day GO service throughout the Greater Toronto Area and southwestern Ontario. Their plan is to boost ridership and support public transportation by delivering permanent, sustainable and flexible operational funding for transit agencies.
Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie also pledged to take provincial responsibility for Ottawa’s OC Transpo, relieving the region of the costly light-rail transit system.
NDP: The NDP say they will restore 50 per cent of the provincial funding for municipal transit operations cut by the Ford government. They also pledge to restore bike lanes, which the Ford government also cut, and remove tolls for the underused Highway 407.
Greens: The Greens, who have opposed Ford’s transportation plans, offered a four-part plan for giving people in Ontario better access to affordable public transit — moves that would make it easier for commuters to get around, even if it doesn’t necessarily get rid of traffic jams. Their proposals include expanding GO Transit service to see more express trains during peak hours and increased off-peak train departures.
The Greens also said they’d create an intercity electric bus service, with dedicated bus lanes to connect smaller communities, and an infrastructure fund for municipalities to build routes safe for walking, biking and using mobility devices. And on Highway 407, the Greens said they’d remove tolls from the expressway for transport trucks and create a dedicated lane for them, a move that could provide some short-term congestion relief.
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