Global Agenda, Local Results: Why ICLEI Matters in Pickering

Global Agenda, Local Results: Why ICLEI Matters in Pickering By Councillor Lisa Robinson When Pickering quietly signed onto ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability back in in early 2000's, few residents realized the long-term implications. ICLEI is no ordinary NGO. It is a formal network that partners with the United Nations and aligns with the World Economic Forum’s sustainability frameworks, advancing global climate and development agendas at the local level. On Tuesday, September 2, ICLEI Canada representatives will be speaking directly to our City Council, presenting the 2024 Measuring Sustainability Report. This glossy report, now in its fourth edition, isn’t just a collection of numbers. It tracks 33 indicators across everything from air quality and water to neighbourhood “satisfaction” and even how many bedrooms we use. These metrics are not created in isolation; they are drawn from international templates meant to standardize “sustainability” across cities worldwide. Supporters will say this is about progress, resilience, and responsible growth. And yes, who doesn’t want clean water, safe communities, or thriving green spaces? But let’s be clear: ICLEI’s model comes directly from the UN’s Agenda 2030 and the WEF’s “sustainable cities” agenda. These frameworks promote ideas like “optimizing housing stock” and “responsible consumption,” which, in practice, can lead to policies such as vacant home taxes, limits on vehicle use, or restrictions on development. Here in Pickering, we’re already living it: Car-Free Pushes: The City encourages residents to walk, bike, or use transit instead of driving, echoing ICLEI’s global “sustainable mobility” agenda. Durham’s car-free initiatives are mirrored locally through Smart Commute Durham. Community Surveillance: Pickering now operates nearly 300 CCTV cameras, expanding the Smart City surveillance model promoted worldwide. Geofencing & Tracking: Even our trails use digital tracking tools to monitor visitors — raising quiet but important questions about privacy. Food & Consumption Controls: Community garden policies, seed libraries, and “urban agriculture hubs” reflect UN/ICLEI frameworks around “responsible consumption” and food security. Net-Zero 2050: Through Durham’s Climate Roundtable, Pickering has committed to Canada’s net-zero by 2050 goal — a target designed in international boardrooms, not local kitchen tables. And what does “net-zero” actually mean for families? Fewer cars, fewer freedoms, and higher costs. If everything in life — from heating your home to driving your car — becomes a carbon liability, how are ordinary people supposed to survive? And this is the core concern: when did the people of Pickering agree to be governed by a global agenda? Was there a referendum before Toronto imposed its Vacant Home Tax? Were residents ever asked if they wanted their mobility restricted, or their city tracked and surveilled? Or did these policies just trickle down, step by step, from ICLEI and its partners? ICLEI calls it sustainability. The UN calls it Agenda 2030. The WEF calls it the Great Reset. But here in Pickering, let’s call it what it is: global policy, implemented locally, without consent. As ICLEI addresses Council this week, residents should pay attention. This isn’t conspiracy. It’s documented partnership, written in the City’s own reports. The only question left is: who truly sets the direction for Pickering — the people, or global organizations we never elected? Councillor Lisa Robinson "Strength Does Not Lie In The Absence Of Fear, But In The Courage To Face It Head-On And Rise Above It"