York University's Ecological Footprint Initiative has generated the first comprehensive ecological footprint and biocapacity dataset for Ontario municipalities, providing vital, local-level environmental insights.
Led by the Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change's Peri Dworatzek, a senior data analyst, and Eric Miller, who directs the initiative and manages its various projects, this detailed research equips local leaders with precise tools to understand their environmental profiles and develop targeted sustainability strategies.
Peri Dworatzek and Eric Miller
Dworatzek's work on this project began in 2018, during her master's in environmental studies at York University. She developed a methodology that adapts provincial ecological data to the municipal level, utilizing secondary data from Statistics Canada and geographic information from Ontario GeoHub.
This process involved creating scaling factors based on income, demographics, housing and commuting patterns to adjust consumption coefficients for each municipality. Open-source Quantum Geographic Information System software was then employed to calculate biocapacity - the ability of an area to regenerate resources - within municipal boundaries.
"The goal was to provide municipalities with data that reflects their unique circumstances," Dworatzek says.
The findings reveal significant differences between urban and rural areas. Ecological footprints, which measure humanity's demand on nature, range from two to 12 global hectares per capita, while biocapacity varies from 0.1 to 10,039 global hectares per capita. These disparities reflect variations in household income, commuting patterns and housing types.
The ecological footprint and biocapacity information is now accessible through the Rural Ontario Institute's Community Wellbeing Dashboard. This open-access resource enables municipal parties to track progress toward climate targets and informs decision-making processes aimed at enhancing environmental sustainability. Dworatzek highlights the importance of such resources: "There is a need for more local-level, open-access data that municipal (parties) and policymakers can use to inform decision making."
The implications of this comprehensive research extend beyond individual municipalities, influencing broader sustainability efforts across Ontario. "Our dataset is the most comprehensive and recent measure of what's necessary for sustainability," Miller points out, noting how these insights can reshape community approaches to environmental stewardship.
As they move forward, Dworatzek and Miller are committed to engaging with communities to ensure municipalities can effectively apply these findings in their planning and policy development.
"We aim to empower communities with the tools they need to make informed decisions that benefit both their environment and their residents," Dworatzek says.
This story was originally featured in YFile, York University's community newsletter.
