As per the newly released…

As per the newly released IPCC report on climate change, the world needs to reduce carbon emissions by half in the next decade and Ontario needs to participate since Ontario produces about half of all Canada’s GHG (greenhouse gas). This will ensure Ontario’s low carbon economy is strong and competitive. The fight against climate change is crucial. At its core, it's about respecting this province and this planet whose care has been entrusted to us all. Some form of carbon pricing, needs to be implemented, whether its cap and trade or a carbon tax: the polluters logically should pay for harm done. The social cost of carbon has been estimated at over $40 per tonne.

Ontario's cap and trade program generates revenue and is a cornerstone in the fight against climate change. The climate change action plan helps define how cap and trade auction proceeds will be spent. By law, these proceeds were to be invested in projects and programs that help reduce greenhouse gas pollution. The plan ensures all cap and trade proceeds are managed in transparent and accountable ways.

Compared to other carbon pricing mechanisms, cap & trade has been shown to be the most efficient at reducing emissions with the lowest economic impact. Ontario’s economy continues to remain strong despite cap & trade implementation. California and Quebec, the other cap & trade auction participants, both have strong growing clean energy economies. Cap and trade is the cornerstone of the funds to invest in green energy initiatives and has brought in over 2.9 billion in funds for those purposes. The green energy act ensures those funds are used responsibly for carbon reduction initiatives.

Cancelling cap and trade will cause harm to Ontario business who have participated in the program to date.

Instead of cancelling cap & trade, an option would be to distribute the funds as tax breaks similar to revenue neutral carbon tax. Use cap and trade proceeds to offset the cost of greenhouse gas pollution reduction initiatives that are currently funded by residential and industrial consumers through their bills. This would still help people have choice in transitioning away from carbon intensive energy use.

Another reason not to cancel cap and trade is that the federal government will be implementing a mandate for all provinces to setup some form of carbon pricing mechanism anyways. Cancelling and then re-implementing another carbon pricing scheme will be a waste of money. Instead, repurpose the funds or tweak the program if need be, but don’t cancel it.

More than one- third of Ontario’s greenhouse gas pollution is caused by the transportation sector, with cars and trucks responsible for more than 70 per cent of the total. Since 1990, vehicle emissions in this province have been rising steadily
But, in the long term, and given Ontario’s clean electricity system and supported by Ontario’s innovative auto sector, accelerating the shift to electric, plug-in and hydrogen vehicles will be crucial if Ontario is to achieve its climate change targets.

Cap and trade proceeds and a climate change action plan continue to be crucial for major reductions in GHG in the transportation sector, and provide for:

1. Increased use of electric vehicles
2. incentives for electric vehicles
3. Ensure charging infrastructure is widely available

Additionally, the elimination of HST on EV’s would boost zero emission vehicles with less political backlash.

Ontario's needs a measurable, goal oriented, climate change action plan to springboard to a low carbon economy of the future. Fighting climate change presents a major economic opportunity. According to the U.S. State Department, expansion of the global green economy is forecast to be six times greater than the technology boom of the 1990s — which saw the growth of the Internet, the first smart phones, and other breakthroughs that affect everyday life today. Ontario needs to continue a plan that builds on work already done and achievements already made in reducing Ontario's greenhouse gas pollution. It needs to maintain key actions that will move the province to even more aggressive IPCC emissions reduction targets of 2020, 2030 and 2050, and to continue the goals of Ontario's previous Climate Change Strategy.

I echo the ECO report statements: “Bill 4, the proposed Cap and Trade Cancellation Act, 2018, contains nothing of substance, except to dismantle the previous framework. It would leave Ontario with no statutory emission targets, no pathway to achieve targets, weak reporting, no carbon price, and no stream of revenue to invest in solutions. Many parties who, in good faith, invested time, money, expertise and credibility in Ontario emission reduction projects have been left with damaged relationships and uncompensated losses. This affects Ontario’s economy as well as its environment and climate progress.”

Please do not cancel cap and trade and at least, please, do not fight carbon pricing and affirmative action on climate change.