As an Ontario resident and…

As an Ontario resident and Canadian citizen I strongly oppose this government's proposal to cancel the current cap-and-trade system before developing, publicising and receiving public comment on an alternative system to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in Ontario. To cancel the current system without an alternative in place would be environmentally irresponsible due to the likely increase in emissions while the alternative is being developed, would waste taxpayer money by needing to re-invent the wheel while compensating companies who are hurt by the sudden cancellation, and would create regulatory and economic uncertainty for Ontario businesses or those who would consider investing here.

As a civil engineer working in the municipal water sector, I see every day how Ontario municipalities are struggling to deal with the impacts of climate change to date. Any new Climate Action Plan should address both prevention (including the replacement to the cap-and-trade system, incentivising energy use reduction in the water/wastewater sector, and research related to reducing GHG emissions) and adaptation (including funding for green infrastructure and/or grey infrastructure upgrades, and studies related to flood plain mapping, flood prevention, and updating precipitation Intensity-Duration-Frequency curves used to design infrastructure.)

In conclusion, I suggest that the current cap-and-trade system should not be cancelled at this time. Instead, revenue from the current cap-and-trade system (which I understand is no longer to be directed to various cancelled green energy initiatives) should be directed to fund the development and eventual implementation of the proposed Climate Action Plan, which would comprehensively address both prevention and adaptation. Once the plan is complete, a comprehensive Act should cancel the old system and introduce the proposed updates.