Toronto's growing tech industry is getting international attention

Toronto's growing reputation as a global climate tech leader is receiving international recognition, with a recent article from Forbes hailing the city as "one of North America's most important climate innovation hubs." 

The article, titled "How Toronto Is Emerging As North America's Next Big Climate Tech Hub," highlights the city's impressive combination of world-class universities, scientific expertise, and forward-thinking governance, which have helped position it at the forefront of the global climate tech movement. 

"In the United States, climate ambition is increasingly becoming a state-by-state affair," the article notes. "But north of the border, Canada has been quietly filling the vacuum. Nowhere is that more evident than in Toronto." 

Supported by a talented pool of over 285,000 tech workers, Toronto now boasts one of the largest technology sectors in the world. The tech workforce has grown by more than 25 per cent in the last five years, which has outpaced every other major North American city. 

Major companies like Google, Microsoft Canada, 1Password, and SAP Canada have also established significant offices in Toronto and continue to actively recruit across a variety of roles. However, beyond its list of leading companies, what really sets Toronto apart is its growing climate tech ecosystem, the article notes. 

"In a world rapidly reshaping itself around climate risk, Toronto is positioning itself as both a beacon of climate resilience and a magnet for climate solutions," the Forbes article states. 

Geographically, Toronto is seen as one of the safest long-term bets for climate stability in North America, the article continues, noting that the city is shielded from the worst of hurricanes, wildfires, and droughts, with access to an abundance of fresh water. 

"This matters — not just for where people will live, but where talent will move, companies will set up shop, and where governments can afford to take risks on ambitious policy. In a future defined by climate volatility, Toronto offers a degree of certainty. It's a geography worth building around," the article reads. 

The author goes on to highlight several institutions, such as the University of Toronto and its $60 million climate institute, the MaRS Discovery District, and the Creative Destruction Lab, for accelerating science-based startups and placing climate at the forefront of innovation. 

The results of the city's investments are paying off, according to the article, which reveals that emissions in Toronto are down 41 per cent from 1990 levels, and that the city is on track to reach a 45 per cent reduction by 2025. 

"Toronto's climate momentum isn’t limited to boardrooms and lab benches. It’s becoming a civic identity," Forbes writes. "A city where sustainability is stitched into community action, design, and even culture."

Grassroots organizations like the Toronto Climate Action Network, Toronto Atmospheric Fund, and Project Neutral were also given a shoutout, along with students at local universities who are driving activism and launching startups. 

"In 2025, the climate tech landscape is increasingly defined by regional clusters," the article concludes. "Silicon Valley still leads on software. Boston thrives on biotech. But climate innovation demands something more integrated — science, capital, policy, and physical infrastructure, all in one place. That's what makes Toronto's emergence so compelling." 

Ultimately, the author argues that, "It's a city that understands decarbonization is not just a moral imperative — it's an economic one. That the road to net-zero runs not through pledges, but through patents. And that solving the climate crisis will take more than breakthroughs in technology — it will take the places bold enough to build them. Toronto is one of those places."