Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2020 - 26

POLICY

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
READY RECOVERY
BY JENNIFER COURT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE ONTARIO COALITION

The full scope and impact of Ontario's vibrant green infrastructure sector has never been
quantified-until now.

T

he new "Economic Impact Assessment of the Green Infrastructure Sector in
Ontario" is a first-ever assessment of the full scope of the green infrastructure sector, commissioned by the Green Infrastructure Ontario Coalition
(GIO) and funded by the Greenbelt Foundation, with additional financial
support from Landscape Ontario. This report highlights to what degree green
infrastructure is an important contributor to Ontario's economy and a creator of
jobs. It demonstrates that the sector has the capacity for significant, regional wide
growth in a Post-COVID 19 recovery.
According to the 2020 report, green infrastructure generates CDN$8.6 billion
in gross output (revenues), $4.64 billion in direct gross domestic product (GDP),
and directly employs approximately 84,400 people in 2018. Factoring in the indirect and induced impacts, Ontario's green infrastructure sector was responsible
for more than 120,000 jobs and nearly $8.33 billion in GDP in 2018.
The green infrastructure sector is divided into six key sub-sectors: landscape
horticulture and open spaces, natural heritage, parks, urban forests, green stormwater management, and green roofs and walls, as well as the cross sectoral support
services that play essential roles across these sub-sectors.
Ontario's Green Roof and Walls sub-sector was responsible for an estimated
840 direct jobs in 2018, with a gross output of $93 million and a direct contribution to provincial GDP of $51.2 million. This growing sector has a direct, indirect, and induced GDP contribution of over $88 million. The growth potential
of this subsector is particularly impressive; under a business-as-usual scenario, the
Green Roofs and Walls sub-sector is projected to see the
1% highest relative growth
3%
rate of all sub-sectors based on current trends, equal to 108% growth
4% by 2030.
Under a stretch scenario, which includes more aggressive policies and regulations
12%
and more significant investment, the growth potential
is even more significant at
up to a 270 per cent increase between 2018 and 2030.
11%
Support for green infrastructure projects has value chain ripple effects wherein
the economic, environmental, and social benefits largely remain inside Ontario.
7%
Current trends show significant growth potential for the sector as public
awareness and attitudes towards the sector evolve. In short, this report recognizes the
meaningful role that this sector plays in today's economy, as well as the vital role
we can play in the economic recovery of tomorrow.
62%

For more information
You can download this report from www.greeninfrastructureontario.org

CONTRIBUTIONS OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE TO
$4.6B IN GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT IN ONTARIO
1%

3%

4%

12%
11%

7%

62%

Source: The Delphi Grou

Green Roofs and Walls

Direct GDP attributed to Ontario's green infr

Green Stormwater Management
Urban Forests
Parks
Natural Heritage
Landscape Horticulture and Open Spaces
Cross-sector Support Services

Source: The Delphi Group

Direct GDP attributed to Ontario's green infrastructure sector in 2018
LIVING ARCHITECTURE MONITOR / SUMMER 2020 / 26

LIVINGARCHITECTUREMONITOR.COM
http://www.greeninfrastructureontario.org http://www.LIVINGARCHITECTUREMONITOR.COM
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2020
