Building communities for the future: Working together for a sustainable Durham Region

If you've noticed warmer fall days, more intense rainstorms and increasingly unpredictable weather, you're not imagining it. Across Durham Region, residents are experiencing the impacts of a changing climate in different ways, from heavy rainfall and flooding to wildfire smoke, air quality advisories and severe storms that can disrupt daily life. Events like last year's ice storm, which disrupted communities across the region, highlight how climate-related weather impacts are becoming an increasingly important part of residents' everyday lives. 

While these challenges affect our daily lives, you’re not alone in preparing for them. Durham Region, local municipalities and conservation authorities work together to offer programs, resources and long-term planning initiatives that help our communities prepare for these climate impacts and those of the future.  

Climate action starts closer to home than you might think 

Sustainability is about more than recycling and electric vehicles. Many of the places we spend our time, including our homes, workplaces and community facilities, offer opportunities to reduce energy use, lower costs and create healthier, more resilient spaces. Improving how we design, construct and operate these spaces, can have a significant impact. In fact, about one-third of Durham Region’s emissions come from buildings.  

“Climate change acts like an amplifier, creating severe heat waves and storms, and further stressing our natural systems,” shared Shannon Logan, Durham Region’s Manager of Climate Resilience. “All levels of government need to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions, adapt infrastructure to be more durable into the future, and have services to help those most impacted." 

Programs such as Durham Greener Homes help residents make informed home energy and weather-ready improvements that can lower household costs, reduce energy use and the impacts of storms, and improve comfort. Meanwhile, Durham Greener Buildings supports organizations and businesses in identifying opportunities to improve building performance and reduce emissions. 

Local projects creating community benefits 

Across Durham, municipalities are putting shared climate goals into action through innovative community projects. 

In Whitby, the new Fieldgate Sports Complex is designed as a zero-carbon facility with rooftop solar panels and sustainability features to reduce energy costs and emissions. In Pickering, the Dorsay Community & Heritage  Centre is the city's first net-zero community facility. 

“The Dorsay Community & Heritage Centre represents a new standard for modern, sustainable municipal infrastructure in Pickering. As our first zero-carbon community facility, it reflects our commitment to meaningful climate action and demonstrates how sustainability can be embedded into the way we design and deliver public spaces. This leading-edge facility will provide an efficient, resilient and welcoming destination for our community, while preserving important pieces of Pickering’s local heritage,” shares Marisa Carpino, Chief Administrative Officer, City of Pickering. 

Climate-friendly projects like these benefit residents in practical ways. They help create spaces that use less energy, reduce operating costs and are built to better withstand future weather challenges, so they can continue serving the community for years to come. 

Preparing for what’s ahead 

While we can’t predict every storm or weather event, there’s a lot happening across Durham Region to help our communities prepare for the future. Through the Durham Community Climate Adaptation Plan, Durham Region works alongside local municipalities, utilities, institutions and community partners to identify climate risks and ways that residents can be supported in helping to protect homes, public spaces and community infrastructure.  

Whether it's improving homes, enhancing infrastructure or planning for climate impacts, climate plans and actions are helping create a more sustainable Durham Region for generations to come. 

We’re an internationally recognized community! 

This collaborative approach is just one example of why Durham Region was recognized as the
2025 Intelligent Community of the Year and continues to drive projects that strengthen communities, support residents and prepare for the future.