Please accept the following…

Please accept the following as my official comments on Bill 4, Cap and Trade Cancellation Act, 2018, posted for consultation as ERO 013-3738.

In light of the recent UN climate change report, we have no time to spare. We simply cannot afford to eliminate effective climate action without a replacement equivalent in pollution reduction.

In the Cap and Trade Cancellation Act, 2018, the Ontario government has committed to establishing targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Ontario, and a climate change plan to achieve these targets.

I urge you to support Ontario’s current science-based pollution reduction targets. Those targets set the province on track to be nearly carbon neutral by mid-century, which is what is required if we hope to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, as agreed to by 195 countries in Paris. Indeed, the recent UN climate change report shows we may need to move even more quickly.

Ontarians are already facing the growing impacts of extreme weather: flooded basements, forest fires, and health impacts from polluted air and extreme heat. Backing away from Ontario’s pollution reduction targets will threaten future generations’ ability to enjoy a safe climate.

Ontario needs to develop and launch an effective plan to fight climate change as soon as possible. A good first step would be to begin consultations with businesses, economists, scientists and other climate change experts to forge a cost-effective and ambitious way forward.

An effective, made-in-Ontario climate change plan must tackle the major sources of carbon pollution in Ontario including transportation, industry, buildings and waste. Without strong action to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from these sources, the people of Ontario will face serious consequences to our health and our environment. This is not a far-distant possibility: this is a near-future certainty.

The plan must also include adequate funding for pollution reduction programs, transparency mechanisms to show Ontarians how this funding will be spent, and firm commitments and timelines for regular reporting on the plan’s progress.

We look forward to a plan that will transition Ontario to a healthier and more competitive province, create new jobs in many industries, and address the root cause of climate change by reducing carbon pollution.

Sincerely,
Concerned Ontarian