The war in Ukraine is no different than the global oil crises in the 1970s – it has disrupted supply chains, resulting in fuel constraints, inflation and a tightening of domestic energy policies. In a time where we are also in the midst of a climate crisis, it has made undeniable the risks associated with globalized fuel supply chains and continued dependency on fossil fuel energy – and the obvious urgent need to invest in a sustainable future.

As Canadians always do, we are stepping up in times of need, increasing our domestic output by the equivalent of 300,000 barrels of oil and natural gas per day, by the end of the year to help offset Europe’s reliance on Russia. But such policies are regressive and only serve to feed our hunger for fossil fuel energy, disrupt our long-term energy planning and threaten our progress towards building net-zero communities.

To help mitigate this situation, all levels of government and industry must immediately invest in sustainable solutions, like low carbon “green” hydrogen, that is locally produced, locally consumed and sustainable for generations to come.

This is where innovative, growing and transit-friendly cities like Mississauga, Canada’s seventh largest, can play a key role. Mississauga is building a resilient city of the future and has already taken bold steps by purchasing hybrid-electric buses and determining the path for zero-emissions buses because they believe green energy is the way of the future.

For this reason, and many others, cities make the perfect partner to help accelerate Ontario’s green hydrogen revolution. And while cities like Mississauga are ready and willing to take action, the reality is they cannot fund projects of this magnitude alone. They need willing partners to help get the job done.

We need not look further than the partnerships emerging in Europe where 22 cities banded together to purchase 300 hydrogen fuel-cell electric buses (FCEBs) and Croatia is working with the European Union and local fuel suppliers to purchase, deploy and sustain 20 hydrogen-propelled electric buses in the city of Zagreb.

What it proves first and foremost is that with dedication, an eye on the future and willing partners, anything is possible.

The good news is that we are also starting to see some progress here at home, with the Alberta government taking the lead in developing its hydrogen economy and committing $1.3 billion investment to create a blue hydrogen hub.

And while Ontario recently launched its provincial hydrogen strategy, for it to be successful, it needs dedicated funding, and it needs to support innovative projects that will help translate policy into action.

One of the first steps they can take to help build a secure, domestic, green hydrogen economy is by leveraging Ontario’s public transit fleets and supporting cities to cover the difference between the cost of diesel and green hydrogen for their buses.

Mississauga and the Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium have already taken steps to develop a first-of-its-kind pilot project that would see 10 hydrogen FCEBs introduced to their MiWay fleet and help the city get one step closer to decarbonizing its bus system. This pilot will kick-start the development of Canada’s first local hydrogen ecosystem, capitalizing on a national network of manufacturing, production, knowledge innovation, and design.

The City of Mississauga has set aside millions of dollars to support the project. The federal government is also playing a role through its Zero Emissions Transit Fund, which will add another 10 million to the project. But in order to make it a reality, Mississauga also needs the province to step in and help fund the gap of 10 million dollars.

This plug-and-play project is a win for the province and also engages local electrolyzer manufacturers, Hydrogenics, now owned by Cummins, and green hydrogen producers like Enbridge Natural Gas in Markham to help build a local end-to-end value chain between the two cities. Mississauga has already done the heavy lifting. Years of mathematical and economic analysis have gone into determining which routes, which blocks, and which facilities need hydrogen buses today. We’re ready to go.

The successful implementation of this pilot would expedite Mississauga’s progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions to help meet its 2030, create high-value jobs in Ontario, while also creating new skills and infrastructure in innovative clean technology.

It will inspire other cities and attract further investments to expand hydrogen technologies, repositioning Ontario from the back of the global innovation line in hydrogen to the front, as a national vanguard and leader in green energy and sustainability - where it rightfully should be.

Dr. Josipa Petrunić is president & CEO of the Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium.

Bonnie Crombie is the mayor of the City of Mississauga.

The views, opinions and positions expressed by all QP Briefing columnists and contributors are the authors' alone. They do not inherently or expressly reflect the views, opinions and/or positions of QP Briefing.

Petrunić and Crombie: How Mississauga can help lead Canada’s transition to low-carbon hydrogen

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