TRCA Honoured for Leadership in Sustainability and Green Workplace Practices
April 21, 2026, Toronto, ON – For the second consecutive year, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) has been named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers. The award recognizes TRCA’s success in embedding sustainability in its internal practices and regional projects. This achievement highlights TRCA as an organization that leads by example, applying the same principles of climate resilience to its own operations that it promotes across the region.
TRCA integrates sustainability practices into all aspects of its workplace culture.
This commitment starts at home. The foundation of TRCA’s green culture is its administrative office building at 5 Shoreham Drive. Already a holder of LEED v4.1 Platinum and Zero Carbon Building Standard certifications, the site recently earned international acclaim at Milan’s The PLAN Awards and the 2025 American Institute of Architects Canada Society Award of Excellence. These accolades demonstrate that a modern workplace can simultaneously prioritize employee well-being and sustainable practices.
TRCA’s Administrative Office Building opened officially on April 25, 2025.
Even the transition into this new space followed a green “blueprint”. Through the Partners in Project Green (PPG) initiative, TRCA implemented reuse solutions to divert waste from landfills, avoiding more than a tonne of greenhouse gas emissions. This culture of reuse continues through annual PPG recycling drives for electronics and textiles. In 2024, this effort resulted in the donation of nearly 100 laptops, computers, and monitors to local youth, health, and educational charities.
Building on these internal sustainability practices, TRCA’s work extends across the region to support the Greater Toronto Area’s largest municipalities and academic partners with applied climate research, adaptation planning, and risk assessments. This includes helping the City of Toronto communicate how local climate conditions are changing and what the future could look like under different emissions scenarios. TRCA also conducts climate change risk and vulnerability assessments to identify the most urgent actions needed to protect local infrastructure and ensure that communities remain safe and resilient.
These science-based strategies translate into visible, local impact for both the urban landscape and the region’s vital waterways. Through the Toronto Inner Harbour Floatables Strategy, a partnership with the University of Toronto Trash Team and other corporate and community groups, TRCA is clearing litter from local waterways using a mix of technology and community outreach. In 2024, the program engaged nearly 1,000 participants, including 155 youth, and removed 321 kilograms of waste from the harbour. Similarly, the creation of the Eastbourne Park Tiny Forest in Brampton is transforming underused urban land into a dense, biodiverse, and thriving habitat to help reduce heat, manage stormwater, and improve air quality for surrounding communities.
Neighbourhood residents take part in the planting of the Eastbourne Park Tiny Forest in Brampton.
TRCA is also driving change in the transportation sector through the Futureproof Your Fleet program. By hosting workshops for the medium- and heavy-duty vehicle industry, TRCA has helped over 200 participants understand zero-emission technologies. Following these sessions, 78 percent of participants indicated they are likely to explore cleaner vehicle options within the next five years.
Securing this award for a second year in a row confirms that TRCA is a top choice for professionals dedicated to conservation and sustainability. As the organization continues to lead restoration and innovation across the region, this recognition highlights that large-scale environmental impact is most effective when it is built on a foundation of sustained excellence and a shared commitment to the mission.
Quote:
“Earning a place on Canada’s Greenest Employers list for a second consecutive year is a proud milestone for TRCA. This recognition celebrates our ongoing work to integrate these values into every level of our workplace culture. When we lead by example, we show how these practices are actionable and attract top talent eager to align their professional careers with their personal values. We are proud of this achievement and will continue to build on this success.”
– John MacKenzie, Chief Executive Officer, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)
About Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)
Since 1957, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), as enabled through the provincial Conservation Authorities Act, has taken action to enhance our region’s natural environment and protect our land, water, and communities from the impacts of flooding and increasingly extreme weather events – Ontario’s leading cause of public emergencies.
As the region’s first line of defence against natural hazards, TRCA maintains vital infrastructure and provides programs and services that promote public health and safety, protecting people and property. TRCA mobilizes a science-based approach to provide sound policy advice, leveraging its position as a not-for-profit operating in the broader public sector to achieve collective impacts within our communities and across all levels of government.
TRCA’s dedication to its employees and sustainability has earned it recognition as both one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers and one of Canada’s Greenest Employers. These distinctions highlight TRCA’s commitment to fostering a supportive, innovative, and environmentally responsible workplace – dedicated to driving meaningful change and create lasting positive impacts in the communities it serves.
TRCA’s jurisdiction includes nine watersheds and their Lake Ontario shorelines, spanning six upper-tier and fifteen lower-tier municipalities and representing almost five million people, approximately 10% of Canada’s population.
To learn more about TRCA, visit trca.ca.
Media Contact
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)
Afiya Jilani
Specialist, Communication and Media Relations
Communications, Marketing and Events
afiya.jilani@trca.ca
media@trca.ca