CEA in the News

Citizens Environment Alliance
628 Monmouth Rd., Windsor, Ontario, Canada N8Y 3L1

CEA in the News

'Not an A grade from us' — environmentalists slam Windsor on climate action

By Madeline Mazak
Windsor Star · Posted: June 6, 2025

A local environmental group is questioning how truly committed the City of Windsor is to its climate goals, despite recently earning a top green grade from a global non-profit.

The Citizens Environment Alliance said the ‘A’ grade — placing Windsor among roughly 100 cities recognized worldwide — does not reflect the city’s actual follow-through on its climate goals.

“From our perspective, and from our experience, it’s not an ‘A’ grade from us,” said Derek Coronado, president of the Citizens Environment Alliance.

“There’s a gap there between getting an ‘A’ grade from some nonprofit that’s not here on the ground, really paying attention, handing out questionnaires instead of actually seeing the city in action.

“The city is supposed to be a leader on environmental actions and policies, and more often than not, they’re followers.”

The organization CDP included Windsor on its ‘A’ list this year — one of just 112 cities worldwide so recognized, and only eight in Canada, to earn top marks. Other Canadian cities on the list included Calgary, Montreal, and Vancouver.

However, Coronado said the recognition may not tell the whole story. He said the methodology used to earn a top score is not an independent audit of the city’s actual performance, but a survey.

In an emailed statement to the Star, the city said it “recognizes the urgency of climate action and remains committed to sustainability.”

The city said its Environmental, Sustainability & Climate Change (ESCC) department is currently reviewing four master plans with more than 500 climate-related action items.

The statement added that since adopting the Community Energy Plan (CEP) in 2017, Windsor has made “significant progress.” It cited a decline in community-wide emissions since 2005, and said the city surpassed its emissions target for 2023.

Coronado’s local group, however, claims the city isn’t being fully transparent when it comes to keeping up with its climate promises.

Among the many oversights the CEA noted are delayed committee meetings, lackluster public communication, and missing public reports.

The group said the city has yet to publicly release its 2023 greenhouse gas emissions inventory, target updates, or its net-zero implementation plan.

“We are getting a bit more frustrated as time passes with the city’s lack of action on not only implementing climate action, but communicating and being accountable for that action,” said Coronado.

“It’s a two-fold problem, and it’s been going on for some time.”

Coronado said the city has yet to implement its Urban Forest Master Plan.

Asked by the Star to respond, the city stated that plan, which outlines Windsor’s long-term urban forestry goals, will be brought to council in the coming weeks for formal discussion and feedback.

The Environment and Climate Change Advisory Committee (ECCAC), which advises the city on environmental and climate change matters, is mandated to meet at least six times annually. The committee held only its second meeting of the year on May 22.

“While administration has made efforts to schedule meetings in recent months,” the city told the Star, “achieving quorum has been a challenge.”

Coronado said local environmentalists want to see the city “lay down cohesive principles for what the city stands for” when facing the unavoidable reality of climate change.

“We’re seeing it happen all over the place in Canada, from forest fires and flooding and heat waves, to all of those things that directly impact people’s health, but also people’s pocketbooks,” he said.

“The longer the city waits, the greater the risk and threat to the health and safety of members of the community.

“It’s an existential threat.”