ClimateFast May 2026 Newsletter

MAY 2026

This ClimateFast newsletter shares information about the Climate Crisis that may interest our readers, but does not necessarily reflect the views of ClimateFast as an organization, nor those of its members. If you have an event or resource you would like to share, please send it to newsletter@climatefast.ca.

PLEASE NOTE: This newsletter may be truncated when you receive it; click on 'view entire message' at bottom to see the full document.

CLIMATEFAST IN ACTION

Clockwise from top left: @ IEC deputations w/ Councillors Fletcher and Colle; @ Brickworks EcoFair (x2); with Toronto-St. Paul's MPP Stephanie Smyth

WARDS PROJECT - UPDATE

It's a municipal election year, which makes the work of the Wards Project especially important as members develop strategies for building and maintaining relationships between constituents and candidates. All wards teams will meet together later in May to discuss strategies.

If you would like to find out more about the Wards Project - and get involved with a team - please email thewardsproject@climatefast.ca .

CLIMATE VOTING RECORDS WEBSITE - UPDATE

On Saturday May 2, members of the Toronto Climate Voting Records team (a group within ClimateFast) launched report cards scoring members of Toronto City Council with regard to their climate voting record of the past four years. It was a lively event with lots of discussion and questions. The report cards will be added to the public resource folder here very soon. To get involved in the project, please email info@climatefast.ca.

Find the VR site at votingrecords.climatefast.ca | Follow us on Instagram @climatefastaction

CALLS TO ACTION

Join our Say No to AI Data Centres campaign by joining the virtual town hall meetings! Sign up form can be found here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSesC-1gsI2Z9LFRv2MGNMVWZG5m3T0JOEWEEJxtP8jpZfjB0Q/viewform?usp=dialog

You might be wondering, how big is the problem of AI data centres in Ontario? In December 2025, the total amount of electricity demand from data centres hoping to connect to Ontario’s grid was enough to power more than 6.5 million homes.

We need to protect the water in our Great Lakes, and our air quality, from AI data centres, because they demand an enormous amount of water and electricity, which leads to higher bills and taxes. AI data centres are also toxic for the environment because they have on-site fossil fuel generators. These generators release harmful pollutants like nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide, which are bad for our health. In addition, most, if not all, of the energy generated for the new data centres will be from increasing fossil gas-generated electricity - until at least 2035.

That’s why we need immediate transparency and action on AI data centres: to protect our air, water supply, affordability, and public health.

Check out the data centre map to find noise and emissions levels of data centres near you.

Find resources and helpful information about AI data centres in the Say No to AI data centres public resource folder.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN US!

Tell your elected officials to back Toronto’s renewable energy future.

Write to Prime Minister Carney, Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin, Premier Ford, your MP and MPP.

Ask them to:

Support solar, wind and battery storage expansion
Invest in affordable, local renewable energy
Align with the City of Toronto’s clean energy strategy

Toronto is ready. Now it’s time for Carney and Ford to get on the same page and power our city with renewables.

SEND YOUR MESSAGE HERE

STOP PLASTIC POLLUTION!!

Canada’s Federal Court of Appeal has confirmed that the federal government can act to stop plastic pollution. This is a major victory for all creatures. It means the federal bans on harmful and unnecessary plastic items, such as checkout bags and six-pack rings, stand. It also means there is no excuse for the government to hold back: now is the time for bold and ambitious federal action to protect people and the environment from plastic.

CLICK HERE TO TELL THE FEDS TO GET TOUGH ON PLASTICS!

REJECT ALBERTA'S PIPELINE PLOY!

Canada faces a choice: build new fossil fuel pipelines that deepen the climate crisis, damage ecosystems, endanger communities and enrich oil and gas billionaires, or build a truly resilient, people- and nature-centred future powered by renewables.

In November 2025, Prime Minister Carney made a damaging deal with Alberta to fast-track a new diluted bitumen oil pipeline to B.C.’s coast while rolling back key environmental protections. This pipeline would lock Canada into deeper dependence on a declining, high-polluting industry and put North Pacific ecosystems and coastal First Nations at risk from increased tanker traffic and catastrophic oil spills.

There’s still time to stop this pipeline ploy and choose a fossil-fuel free future. Alberta intends to submit its pipeline proposal to the federal government’s Major Projects Office by July 1, 2026.

CLICK HERE TO STOP THIS MADNESS BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!

COMING EVENTS

PLANT-BASED TREATY
MEET-UP

When: Tuesday, May 12; 6-7:30 pm

Where: Centre for Social Innovation, 192 Spadina Ave., M5T 2C2

Who: Plant-Based Treaty

What else: Part of a series of monthly in-person meetings; also sign up here for their monthly online meeting.

SUPPORT GRASSY NARROWS

When: Wednesday, May 20; 10 am - 3pm

Where: Osgoode Hall, 130 Queen St. E., Courtroom #3

Who: Grassy Narrows

What else: The Madsen Mine was recently re-opened without Grassy's consent. Grassy is challenging the Ontario government decision not to issue a control or stop order on the mine's pollution. RSVP here - https://actionnetwork.org/events/support-grassy-narrows-court-challenge-to-the-madsen-mine

SAVE OUR PUBLIC SPACES

When: Thursday, May 21; 7:30 pm

Where: Hot Docs Theatre, 506 Bloor St. W., (near Bathurst Station)

Who: Elizabeth Littlejohn, director

What else: Two films - More than a Beach (2024) and The City Island (2022) - will be shown. Both are about protecting Toronto’s public spaces from Premier Ford's land grab. Purchase tickets here

MILITARIZATION & THE CLIMATE

When: Sunday, May 24; 6-8:45 pm

Where: Friends House,60 Lowther Ave., Toronto, M5R 1C7

Who: ClimateFast (Toronto Climate Film Festival)

What else: Two films (plus a trailer) and discussion with Dr. Tamara Lorincz (Voice of Women for Peace). More details and register on Eventbrite.

JUNE 1-7, 2026 - ACROSS THE CITY

Toronto Climate Week (TOCW) transforms the city into a global stage for climate solutions by uniting Canada's climate ecosystem and welcoming international partners to participate in a week of cross-sector collaboration. As a decentralized event platform, TOCW convenes climate innovators, industry leaders, creators, researchers, policymakers, and community groups to catalyze innovation, investment, and public engagement. Browse the events calendar and register for sessions.

RESOURCES & INFORMATION

A force of nature: Canada’s strategy to protect nature. Government of Canada, 2026.

The recently announced federal government’s nature strategy envisions
a Canada that protects, restores, and values nature as a foundation of our economy, sovereignty and well-being, leading at home and globally, to ensure healthy ecosystems, resilient communities and prosperity for
present and future generations.

War-driven fertilizer prices, The Energy Mix, April 30, 2026.

The Iran war has sent fertilizer prices surging nearly 50% but it’s only the latest reason farmers in Canada and abroad are eyeing green ammonia: a fossil fuel-free fertilizer they can make on the farm. The disruption of tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has put pressure on a global food system that relies heavily on synthetic nitrogen-based fertilizers. Canadian cleantech company FuelPositive is piloting a decentralized, small-scale green ammonia system designed to let individual farmers produce their own fertilizer.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Excerpted from Ten Years After We Don't Have Time was Founded, the Moment We Have Been Waiting for has Arrived. We Don't Have Time (weekly newsletter) - May 3, 2026.

A new coalition is turning the promise to move beyond fossil fuels into a process for action. Colombia and the Netherlands took the courageous step of hosting the first Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels. That event just wrapped up in Santa Marta, Colombia, at the end of April.

According to Colombia’s environment minister, Irene Vélez-Torres: “It was after COP30 and the disruption and dissatisfaction that it generated, as we felt there was a veto against discussing fossil fuels, that the eagerness to create a conference grew.”

The Santa Marta participants know that a transition will not happen overnight. It is a huge and complex shift in our economies, energy systems, societies, and development models. The conference recognized this complexity, but does not shy away from the challenge. Through three workstreams, countries agreed to continue working on:

Practical fossil-phase-out roadmaps
Removing financial barriers
Managing the risks and imbalances that come with reducing both fossil fuel supply and demand.

Progress will be evaluated at a second conference in Tuvalu, co-hosted by Ireland.

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