CAFES is pleased to share our annual Impact Report for 2025! We produce this report each year at the time of our AGM to share CAFES' achievements and highlights from the year prior.
We saw substantial growth in 2025, with 11 new organizational memberships and big expansions to our network - reaching representation from all 24 wards in Ottawa. With 276 individual and organizational memberships, an excellent slate of Board of Directors and an expanded staff team, we have been able to bring together and empower more residents than ever to take action on climate and environment issues.
In 2025 we saw some big wins from our municipal policy advocacy. We influenced the City to provide measurable data on carbon emissions, pass municipal support confirmations and zoning amendments in support of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), consider risks of incineration, increase opportunities for greenspace stewardship, and implement stronger metrics for trees in the new Zoning By-law. Totalling 26 public delegations, 2 CAFES petitions, 4 more join petitions, and 15 Caucus meetings, we are steadily strengthening our credibility and feel this was our most impactful year yet for our advocacy work.
Alongside our slate of wonderful community volunteers, we planted 80 new trees on public land, gave out 75 trees for planting on private property, and distributed over 500 plants in support of native biodiversity. We hosted and co-hosted 18 events, and tabled at another 19.
CAFES held productive engaged discussions on environment and climate issues with Mayor Mark Sutcliffe several times in 2025 at the Mayor's Roundtable on the Environment alongside our colleagues Ecology Ottawa and the Ottawa Riverkeeper.
Thank you to all our donors, supporters and volunteers who make all this work possible.
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