4.1 Context

The GGH contains a broad array of important hydrologic and natural heritage features and areas, a vibrant and diverse agricultural land base, irreplaceable cultural heritage resources, and valuable renewable and non-renewable resources. These lands, features and resources are essential for the long-term quality of life, economic prosperity, environmental health, and ecological integrity of the region. They collectively provide essential ecosystem services, including water storage and filtration, cleaner air and habitats, and support pollinators, carbon storage, adaptation and resilience to climate change.

These valuable assets must be wisely protected and managed as part of planning for future growth. This is of particular importance in the fast-growing GGH, which supports some of the most diverse vegetation and wildlife in Canada, including the Niagara Escarpment (a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve) and the Oak Ridges Moraine – two of Ontario’s most significant landforms – as well as the Rouge National Urban Park. There are existing legislation and policies in place to identify and protect these features, areas, and sites, including the Ontario Heritage Act, statements of provincial policy such as the PPS, and provincial plans such as the Greenbelt, Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation, Niagara Escarpment, and Lake Simcoe Protection Plans.

Through their historic relationship with the lands and resources in this region, Indigenous communities have gained traditional knowledge that is of value to the planning decisions being made today. A balanced approach to the wise use and management of all resources, including those related to water, natural heritage, agriculture, cultural heritage, and mineral aggregates, will be implemented in the GGH.

This Plan recognizes and supports the role of municipal policy in providing leadership and innovation in developing a culture of conservation and addressing climate change. As the GGH grows, so will the overall demand for water, energy, air, and land. The ongoing availability of these natural resources is essential for the sustainability of all communities.

This Plan requires the identification of water resource systems and the protection of key hydrologic features and key hydrologic areas, similar to the level of protection provided in the Greenbelt. This provides a consistent framework for water protection across the GGH, and builds on existing plans and policies, including the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan and source protection plans developed under the Clean Water Act, 2006. Recognizing that watersheds are the most important scale for protecting the quality and quantity of water, municipalities are required to undertake watershed planning to inform the protection of water resource systems and decisions related to planning for growth.

This Plan also provides for the identification and protection of a Natural Heritage System for the Growth Plan outside of the Greenbelt Area and settlement areas, and applies protections similar to those in the Greenbelt Plan to provide consistent and long-term protection throughout the GGH.

The GGH is home to some of Canada’s most important and productive farmland, which is a finite, non-renewable resource. The region’s fertile soil, favourable climate, and access to water make it significant on both a national and international scale. This Plan provides for the identification and protection of the Agricultural System in the GGH. The Agricultural System includes a continuous and productive land base, comprised of prime agricultural areas, including specialty crop areas, and rural lands, as well as a complementary agri-food network that together enable the agri-food sector to thrive. Many farms within the Agricultural System also contain important natural heritage and hydrologic features, and farmers play a vital role in their stewardship. Protecting the Agricultural System will support the viability of the agricultural sector as the region grows.

The GGH also contains important cultural heritage resources that contribute to a sense of identity, support a vibrant tourism industry, and attract investment based on cultural amenities. Accommodating growth can put pressure on these resources through development and site alteration. It is necessary to plan in a way that protects and maximizes the benefits of these resources that make our communities unique and attractive places to live.

Building compact communities and the infrastructure needed to support growth requires significant mineral aggregate resources. The Aggregate Resources Act establishes the overall process for the management of mineral aggregate operations, and this Plan works within this framework to provide guidance on where and how aggregate resource extraction can occur, while balancing other planning priorities. The GGH contains significant deposits of mineral aggregate resources, which require long-term management, including aggregate reuse and recycling. Ensuring mineral aggregate resources are available in proximity to demand can support the timely provision of infrastructure and reduce transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions.

The water resource systems, Natural Heritage System for the Growth Plan, and Agricultural System for the GGH also play an important role in addressing climate change and building resilience. Greenhouse gas emissions can be offset by natural areas that act as carbon sinks. Municipalities play a crucial role in managing and reducing Ontario’s greenhouse gas emissions and supporting adaptation to the changing climate. The Province will work with municipalities to develop approaches to inventory, reduce, and offset greenhouse gas emissions in support of provincial targets as we move towards environmentally sustainable communities.

4.2 Policies for protecting what is valuable

4.2.1 Water resource systems

  1. Upper- and single-tier municipalities, partnering with lower-tier municipalities and conservation authorities as appropriate, will ensure that watershed planning is undertaken to support a comprehensive, integrated, and long-term approach to the protection, enhancement, or restoration of the quality and quantity of water within a watershed.
  2. Water resource systems will be identified to provide for the long-term protection of key hydrologic features, key hydrologic areas, and their functions.
  3. Watershed planning or equivalent will inform:
    1. the identification of water resource systems;
    2. the protection, enhancement, or restoration of the quality and quantity of water;
    3. decisions on allocation of growth; and
    4. planning for water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure.
  4. Planning for large-scale development in designated greenfield areas, including secondary plans, will be informed by a subwatershed plan or equivalent.
  5. Municipalities will consider the Great Lakes Strategy, the targets and goals of the Great Lakes Protection Act, 2015, and any applicable Great Lakes agreements as part of watershed planning and coastal or waterfront planning initiatives.

4.2.2 Natural heritage system

  1. A Natural Heritage System for the Growth Plan has been mapped by the Province to support a comprehensive, integrated, and long-term approach to planning for the protection of the region’s natural heritage and biodiversity. The Natural Heritage System for the Growth Plan excludes lands within settlement area boundaries that were approved and in effect as of July 1, 2017.
  2. Municipalities will incorporate the Natural Heritage System for the Growth Plan as an overlay in official plans, and will apply appropriate policies to maintain, restore, or enhance the diversity and connectivity of the system and the long-term ecological or hydrologic functions of the features and areas as set out in the policies in this subsection and the policies in subsections 4.2.3 and 4.2.4.
  3. Within the Natural Heritage System for the Growth Plan:
    1. new development or site alteration will demonstrate that:
      1. there are no negative impacts on key natural heritage features key hydrologic features or their functions;
      2. connectivity along the system and between key natural heritage features and key hydrologic features located within 240 metres of each other will be maintained or, where possible, enhanced for the movement of native plants and animals across the landscape;
      3. the removal of other natural features not identified as key natural heritage features and key hydrologic features is avoided, where possible. Such features should be incorporated into the planning and design of the proposed use wherever possible;
      4. except for uses described in and governed by the policies in subsection 4.2.8, the disturbed area, including any buildings and structures, will not exceed 25 per cent of the total developable area, and the impervious surface will not exceed 10 per cent of the total developable area;
      5. with respect to golf courses, the disturbed area will not exceed 40 per cent of the total developable area; and
      6. at least 30 per cent of the total developable area will remain or be returned to natural self-sustaining vegetation, except where specified in accordance with the policies in subsection 4.2.8; and
    2. the full range of existing and new agricultural uses, agriculture-related uses, on-farm diversified uses, and normal farm practices are permitted. However, new buildings or structures for agricultural uses, agriculture-related uses, or on-farm diversified uses are not subject to policy 4.2.2.3 a), but are subject to the policies in subsections 4.2.3 and 4.2.4.
  1. Provincial mapping of the Natural Heritage System for the Growth Plan does not apply until it has been implemented in the applicable upper- or single-tier official plan. Until that time, the policies in this Plan that refer to the Natural Heritage System for the Growth Plan will apply outside settlement areas to the natural heritage systems identified in official plans that were approved and in effect as of July 1, 2017.
  2. Upper- and single-tier municipalities may refine provincial mapping of the Natural Heritage System for the Growth Plan at the time of initial implementation in their official plans. For upper-tier municipalities, the initial implementation of provincial mapping may be done separately for each lower-tier municipality. After the Natural Heritage System for the Growth Plan has been implemented in official plans, further refinements may only occur through a municipal comprehensive review.
  3. Beyond the Natural Heritage System for the Growth Plan, including within settlement areas, the municipality:
    1. will continue to protect any other natural heritage features and areas in a manner that is consistent with the PPS; and
    2. may continue to protect any other natural heritage system or identify new systems in a manner that is consistent with the PPS.
  4. If a settlement area is expanded to include the Natural Heritage System for the Growth Plan in accordance with the policies in subsection 2.2.8, the portion that is within the revised settlement area boundary will:
    1. be designated in official plans;
    2. no longer be subject to policy 4.2.2.3; and
    3. continue to be protected in a manner that ensures that the connectivity between, and diversity and functions of, the natural heritage features and areas will be maintained, restored, or enhanced.

4.2.3 Key hydrologic features, key hydrologic areas and key natural heritage features

  1. Outside of settlement areas, development or site alteration is not permitted in key natural heritage features that are part of the Natural Heritage System for the Growth Plan or in key hydrologic features, except for:
    1. forest, fish, and wildlife management;
    2. conservation and flood or erosion control projects, but only if they have been demonstrated to be necessary in the public interest and after all alternatives have been considered;
    3. activities that create or maintain infrastructure authorized under an environmental assessment process;
    4. mineral aggregate operations and wayside pits and quarries;
    5. expansions to existing buildings and structures, accessory structures and uses, and conversions of legally existing uses which bring the use more into conformity with this Plan, subject to demonstration that the use does not expand into the key hydrologic feature or key natural heritage feature or vegetative protection zone unless there is no other alternative, in which case any expansion will be limited in scope and kept within close geographical proximity to the existing structure;
    6. expansions or alterations to existing buildings and structures for agricultural uses, agriculture-related uses, or on-farm diversified uses and expansions to existing residential dwellings if it is demonstrated that:
      1. there is no alternative, and the expansion or alteration in the feature is minimized and, in the vegetation protection zone, is directed away from the feature to the maximum extent possible; and
      2. the impact of the expansion or alteration on the feature and its functions is minimized and mitigated to the maximum extent possible; and
    7. small-scale structures for recreational uses, including boardwalks, footbridges, fences, docks, and picnic facilities, if measures are taken to minimize the number of such structures and their negative impacts.
  2. Outside of settlement areas, proposals for large-scale development proceeding by way of plan of subdivision, vacant land plan of condominium or site plan may be permitted within a key hydrologic area where it is demonstrated that the hydrologic functions, including the quality and quantity of water, of these areas will be protected and, where possible, enhanced or restored through:
    1. the identification of planning, design, and construction practices and techniques;
    2. meeting other criteria and direction set out in the applicable watershed planning or subwatershed plans; and
    3. meeting any applicable provincial standards, guidelines, and procedures.

4.2.4 Lands adjacent to key hydrologic features and key natural heritage features

  1. Outside settlement areas, a proposal for new development or site alteration within 120 metres of a key natural heritage feature within the Natural Heritage System for the Growth Plan or a key hydrologic feature will require a natural heritage evaluation or hydrologic evaluation that identifies a vegetation protection zone,which:
    1. is of sufficient width to protect the key natural heritage feature or key hydrologic feature and its functions from the impacts of the proposed change;
    2. is established to achieve and be maintained as natural self-sustaining vegetation; and
    3. for key hydrologic features, fish habitat, and significant woodlands, is no less than 30 metres measured from the outside boundary of the key natural heritage feature or key hydrologic feature.
  2. Evaluations undertaken in accordance with policy 4.2.4.1 will identify any additional restrictions to be applied before, during, and after development to protect the hydrologic functions and ecological functions of the feature.
  3. Development or site alteration is not permitted in the vegetation protection zone, with the exception of that described in policy 4.2.3.1 or shoreline development as permitted in accordance with policy 4.2.4.5.
  4. Notwithstanding policies 4.2.4.1, 4.2.4.2 and 4.2.4.3:
    1. a natural heritage or hydrologic evaluation will not be required for a proposal for development or site alteration on a site where the only key natural heritage feature is the habitat of endangered species and threatened species;
    2. new buildings and structures for agricultural uses, agriculture-related uses, or on-farm diversified uses will not be required to undertake a natural heritage or hydrologic evaluation if a minimum 30 metre vegetation protection zone is provided from a key natural heritage feature or key hydrologic feature; and
    3. uses permitted in accordance with policy 4.2.4.4 b):
      1. are exempt from the requirement of establishing a condition of natural self-sustaining vegetation if the land is, and will continue to be, used for agricultural purposes; and
      2. will pursue best management practices to protect and restore key natural heritage features, key hydrologic features, and their functions.
  5. Outside of settlement areas, in developed shoreline areas of inland lakes that are designated or zoned for concentrations of development as of July 1, 2017, infill development, redevelopment and resort development is permitted, subject to municipal and agency planning and regulatory requirements, if the development will:
    1. be integrated with existing or proposed parks and trails, and will not constrain ongoing or planned stewardship and remediation efforts;
    2. restore, to the maximum extent possible, the ecological features and functions in developed shoreline areas; and
    3. in the case of redevelopment and resort development:
      1. establish, or increase the extent and width of, a vegetation protection zone along the shoreline to a minimum of 30 metres;
      2. increase the extent of fish habitat in the littoral zone;
      3. be planned, designed, and constructed to protect hydrologic functions, minimize erosion, and avoid or mitigate sedimentation and the introduction of nutrient or other pollutants into the lake;
      4. exclude shoreline structures that will impede the natural flow of water or exacerbate algae concerns along the shoreline;
      5. enhance the ability of native plants and animals to use the shoreline as both wildlife habitat and a movement corridor;
      6. use lot-level stormwater controls to reduce stormwater runoff volumes and pollutant loadings;
      7. use natural shoreline treatments, where practical, for shoreline stabilization, erosion control, or protection;
      8. meet other criteria and direction set out in applicable watershed planning and subwatershed plans;
      9. be serviced by sewage works which reduce nutrient inputs to groundwater and the lake from baseline levels; and
      10. demonstrate available capacity in the receiving water body based on inputs from existing and approved development.

4.2.5 Public open space

  1. Municipalities, conservation authorities, non-governmental organizations, and other interested parties are encouraged to develop a system of publicly-accessible parkland, open space, and trails, including in shoreline areas, within the GGH that:
    1. clearly demarcates where public access is and is not permitted;
    2. is based on a co-ordinated approach to trail planning and development; and
    3. is based on good land stewardship practices for public and private lands.
  2. Municipalities are encouraged to establish an open space system within settlement areas, which may include opportunities for urban agriculture, rooftop gardens, communal courtyards, and public parks.

4.2.6 Agricultural system

  1. An Agricultural System for the GGH has been identified by the Province.
  2. Prime agricultural areas, including specialty crop areas, will be designated in accordance with mapping identified by the Province and these areas will be protected for long-term use for agriculture.
  3. Where agricultural uses and non-agricultural uses interface outside of settlement areas, land use compatibility will be achieved by avoiding or where avoidance is not possible, minimizing and mitigating adverse impacts on the Agricultural System. Where mitigation is required, measures should be incorporated as part of the non-agricultural uses, as appropriate, within the area being developed. Where appropriate, this should be based on an agricultural impact assessment.
  4. The geographic continuity of the agricultural land base and the functional and economic connections to the agri-food network will be maintained and enhanced.
  5. The retention of existing lots of record for agricultural uses is encouraged, and the use of these lots for non-agricultural uses is discouraged.
  6. Integrated planning for growth management, including goods movement and transportation planning, will consider opportunities to support and enhance the Agricultural System.
  7. Municipalities are encouraged to implement regional agri-food strategies and other approaches to sustain and enhance the Agricultural System and the long-term economic prosperity and viability of the agri-food sector, including the maintenance and improvement of the agri-food network by:
    1. providing opportunities to support access to healthy, local, and affordable food, urban and near-urban agriculture, food system planning and promoting the sustainability of agricultural, agri-food, and agri-product businesses while protecting agricultural resources and minimizing land use conflicts;
    2. protecting, enhancing, or supporting opportunities for infrastructure, services, and assets. Where negative impacts on the agri-food network are unavoidable, they will be assessed, minimized, and mitigated to the extent feasible; and
    3. establishing or consulting with agricultural advisory committees or liaison officers.
  8. Outside of the Greenbelt Area, provincial mapping of the agricultural land base does not apply until it has been implemented in the applicable upper- or single-tier official plan. Until that time, prime agricultural areas identified in upper- and single-tier official plans that were approved and in effect as of July 1, 2017 will be considered the agricultural land base for the purposes of this Plan.
  9. Upper- and single-tier municipalities may refine provincial mapping of the agricultural land base at the time of initial implementation in their official plans, based on implementation procedures issued by the Province. For upper-tier municipalities, the initial implementation of provincial mapping may be done separately for each lower-tier municipality. After provincial mapping of the agricultural land base has been implemented in official plans, further refinements may only occur through a municipal comprehensive review.

4.2.7 Cultural heritage resources

  1. Cultural heritage resources will be conserved in order to foster a sense of place and benefit communities, particularly in strategic growth areas.
  2. Municipalities will work with stakeholders, as well as First Nations and Métis communities, in developing and implementing official plan policies and strategies for the identification, wise use and management of cultural heritage resources.
  3. Municipalities are encouraged to prepare archaeological management plans and municipal cultural plans and consider them in their decision-making.

4.2.8 Mineral aggregate resources

  1. Municipalities will develop and implement official plan policies and other strategies to conserve mineral aggregate resources, including:
    1. the recovery and recycling of manufactured materials derived from mineral aggregate resources for reuse in construction, manufacturing, industrial, or maintenance projects as a substitute for new mineral aggregate resources; and
    2. the wise use of mineral aggregate resources, including utilization or extraction of on-site mineral aggregate resources prior to development occurring.
  2. Notwithstanding the policies in subsections 4.2.1, 4.2.2, 4.2.3 and 4.2.4, within the Natural Heritage System for the Growth Plan, mineral aggregate operations and wayside pits and quarries are subject to the following:
    1. no new mineral aggregate operation and no new wayside pits and quarries, or any ancillary or accessory use thereto, will be permitted in the following key natural heritage features and key hydrologic features:
      1. significant wetlands;
      2. habitat of endangered species and threatened species; and
      3. significant woodlands unless the woodland is occupied by young plantation or early successional habitat, as defined by the Province, in which case, the application must demonstrate that policies 4.2.8.4 b) and c) and 4.2.8.5 c) have been addressed and that they will be met by the operation;
    2. any application for a new mineral aggregate operation will be required to demonstrate:
      1. how the connectivity between key natural heritage features and key hydrologic features will be maintained before, during, and after the extraction of mineral aggregate resources;
      2. how the operator could replace key natural heritage features and key hydrologic features that would be lost from the site with equivalent features on another part of the site or on adjacent lands;
      3. how the water resource system will be protected or enhanced; and
      4. how any key natural heritage features and key hydrologic features and their associated vegetation protection zones not identified in policy 4.2.8.2 a) will be addressed in accordance with policies 4.2.8.4 b) and c) and 4.2.8.5 c); and
    3. an application requiring a new approval under the Aggregate Resources Act to expand an existing mineral aggregate operation may be permitted in the Natural Heritage System for the Growth Plan, including in key natural heritage features, key hydrologic features and any associated vegetation protection zones, only if the related decision is consistent with the PPS and satisfies the rehabilitation requirements of the policies in this subsection.
  3. In prime agricultural areas, applications for new mineral aggregate operations will be supported by an agricultural impact assessment and, where possible, will seek to maintain or improve connectivity of the Agricultural System.
  4. For rehabilitation of new mineral aggregate operation sites, the following apply:
    1. the disturbed area of a site will be rehabilitated to a state of equal or greater ecological value and, for the entire site, long-term ecological integrity will be maintained or enhanced;
    2. if there are key natural heritage features or key hydrologic features on the site, or if such features existed on the site at the time of the application:
      1. the health, diversity, and size of these key natural heritage features and key hydrologic features will be maintained or enhanced; and
      2. any permitted extraction of mineral aggregate resources that occurs in a feature will be completed, and the area will be rehabilitated, as early as possible in the life of the operation;
    3. aquatic areas remaining after extraction are to be rehabilitated to aquatic enhancement, which will be representative of the natural ecosystem in that particular setting or ecodistrict, and the combined terrestrial and aquatic rehabilitation will meet the intent of policy 4.2.8.4 b); and
    4. outside the Natural Heritage System for the Growth Plan, and except as provided in policies 4.2.8.4 a), b) and c), final rehabilitation will appropriately reflect the long-term land use of the general area, taking into account applicable policies of this Plan and, to the extent permitted under this Plan, existing municipal and provincial policies. In prime agricultural areas, the site will be rehabilitated in accordance with policy 2.5.4 of the PPS, 2020.
  1. Final rehabilitation for new mineral aggregate operations in the Natural Heritage System for the Growth Plan will meet these additional criteria:
    1. where there is no extraction below the water table, an amount of land equal to that under natural vegetated cover prior to extraction, and no less than 35 per cent of the land subject to each license in the Natural Heritage System for the Growth Plan, is to be rehabilitated to forest cover, which will be representative of the natural ecosystem in that particular setting or ecodistrict. If the site is also in a prime agricultural area, the remainder of the land subject to the license is to be rehabilitated back to an agricultural condition;
    2. where there is extraction below the water table, no less than 35 per cent of the non-aquatic portion of the land subject to each license in the Natural Heritage System for the Growth Plan is to be rehabilitated to forest cover, which will be representative of the natural ecosystem in that particular setting or ecodistrict. If the site is also in a prime agricultural area, the remainder of the land subject to the license is to be rehabilitated in accordance with policy 2.5.4 of the PPS, 2020; and
    3. rehabilitation will be implemented so that the connectivity of the key natural heritage features and the key hydrologic features on the site and on adjacent lands will be maintained or enhanced.
  2. Except as provided by the policies of this subsection, decisions on planning matters must be consistent with the policies in the PPS that pertain to the management of mineral aggregate resources.
  3. Where an application under the Aggregate Resources Act has been received and deemed complete by the Province as of July 1, 2017, any applications under the Planning Act to permit the making, establishment or operation of the pit or quarry to which the Aggregate Resources Act application relates, if approved, will not be subject to the policies of this Plan.

4.2.9 A culture of conservation

  1. Municipalities will develop and implement official plan policies and other strategies in support of the following conservation objectives:
    1. water conservation, including through:
      1. water demand management for the efficient use of water; and
      2. water recycling to maximize the reuse and recycling of water;
    2. energy conservation for existing buildings and planned developments, including municipally owned facilities, including through:
      1. identification of opportunities for conservation, energy efficiency and demand management, as well as district energy generation, renewable energy systems and alternative energy systems and distribution through community, municipal, and regional energy planning processes, and in the development of conservation and demand management plans;
      2. land use patterns and urban design standards that support energy efficiency and demand reductions, and opportunities for alternative energy systems, including district energy systems; and
      3. other conservation, energy efficiency and demand management techniques to use energy wisely as well as reduce consumption;
    3. air quality improvement and protection, including through reduction in emissions from municipal, commercial, industrial, and residential sources; and
    4. integrated waste management, including through:
      1. enhanced waste reduction, composting, and recycling initiatives, and the identification of new opportunities for energy from waste, source reduction, reuse, and diversion, where appropriate;
      2. a comprehensive plan with integrated approaches to waste management, including reduction, reuse, recycling, composting, diversion, and disposal of residual waste;
      3. promotion of building conservation and adaptive reuse, as well as the reuse and recycling of construction materials; and
      4. consideration of waste management initiatives within the context of long-term regional planning, and in collaboration with neighbouring municipalities.
  1. Municipalities should develop excess soil reuse strategies as part of planning for growth and development.
  2. Municipal planning policies and relevant development proposals will incorporate best practices for the management of excess soil generated and fill received during development or site alteration, including infrastructure development, to ensure that:
    1. any excess soil is reused on-site or locally to the maximum extent possible and, where feasible, excess soil reuse planning is undertaken concurrently with development planning and design;
    2. appropriate sites for excess soil storage and processing are permitted close to areas where proposed development is concentrated or areas of potential soil reuse; and
    3. fill quality received and fill placement at a site will not cause an adverse effect with regard to the current or proposed use of the property or the natural environment and is compatible with adjacent land uses.

4.2.10 Climate change

  1. Upper- and single-tier municipalities will develop policies in their official plans to identify actions that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change adaptation goals, aligned with other provincial plans and policies for environmental protection, that will include:
    1. supporting the achievement of complete communities as well as the minimum intensification and density targets in this Plan;
    2. reducing dependence on the automobile and supporting existing and planned transit and active transportation;
    3. assessing infrastructure risks and vulnerabilities and identifying actions and investments to address these challenges;
    4. undertaking stormwater management planning in a manner that assesses the impacts of extreme weather events and incorporates appropriate green infrastructure and low impact development;
    5. recognizing the importance of watershed planning for the protection of the quality and quantity of water and the identification and protection of hydrologic features and areas;
    6. protecting the Natural Heritage System for the Growth Plan and water resource systems;
    7. promoting local food, food security, and soil health, and protecting the agricultural land base;
    8. providing direction that supports a culture of conservation in accordance with the policies in subsection 4.2.9; and
    9. any additional policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience, as appropriate, provided they do not conflict with this Plan.
  2. In planning to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address the impacts of a changing climate, municipalities are encouraged to:
    1. develop strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve resilience through the identification of vulnerabilities to climate change, land use planning, planning for infrastructure, including transit and energy, green infrastructure, and low impact development, and the conservation objectives in policy 4.2.9.1;
    2. develop greenhouse gas inventories for transportation, buildings, waste management and municipal operations; and
    3. establish municipal interim and long-term greenhouse gas emission reduction targets that support provincial targets and reflect consideration of the goal of low-carbon communities and monitor and report on progress made towards the achievement of these targets.