Jeyas Balaskanthan
City/Township Council · Waterloo
Back to candidatesThis candidate finalized their responses after this guide and scoring methodology was published.
Climate & Sustainability
How should municipalities and the Region incorporate climate and sustainability into policy, including development and infrastructure decisions?select up to 3 per part
A. Perspective on climate change
- Climate change is an urgent and defining crisis of our time; reducing greenhouse gas emissions should be a primary consideration across municipal decision-making
B. Building and development standards
- Create financial incentives for low-carbon construction (e.g. development charge reductions, expedited approvals, density bonuses)
- Maintain current standards: additional requirements are best set at the provincial or federal level
C. Infrastructure and capital planning
- Require climate risk and lifecycle cost analysis in major capital decisions
- Prioritize active transportation and transit investment
- Require climate change mitigation and adaptation impact assessments for large growth decisions (greenfield expansions, settlement boundary changes)
Describe one concrete policy, incentive, or decision you would prioritize to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Where possible, explain how it balances environmental goals with fiscal responsibility.candidate's own words
As Mayor, I would support land use reforms and other rules that make building walkable neighbourhoods easier, which would be the one of the most impactful long-term changes we can make.