Toronto is currently eyeing a major investment in diesel buses, which would derail progress toward its emission reduction goals and pull a major punch in the fight against climate change.
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), the city agency with the highest vehicle fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, plans to spend $934 million to buy more than 1,000 new buses and revitalize about 700 others — 729 are slated be diesels, and 254 to be second-generation diesel hybrids.
The trouble is, diesel exhaust is a major emitter of greenhouse gases, nitrogen oxides, particulates, black carbon and other pollutants which damage the climate and public health. Buying new diesel buses locks in their emissions for over a decade.
Much better options exist. Instead of diesels, the TTC could buy natural gas buses equipped with “near zero” engines and fuel them with renewable natural gas (RNG), also known as biomethane. Compared to the most advanced diesels, these buses emit a tenth of the smog-forming, asthma-triggering and health-damaging pollutants, while running them on RNG deeply slashes GHG emissions.
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