As an Ontarian deeply…

As an Ontarian deeply concerned about the effects of climate change I was disappointed by the lack of consultation about the repeal of the Climate Change Mitigation and Low-carbon Economy Act, 2016. Repealing the Act without public consultation is not acceptable. I am happy to see that the new bill was posted to the Environmental Bill of Rights for comment. I have a number of major concerns regarding the proposed “Cap and Trade Cancellation Act, 2018”.

I have dedicated more than 5 years of my life studying Geography and Environmental Management. Climate Change is real and it’s happening. Recently, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns we will reach 1.5 C global temperature rise in only 12 years. We can expect to lose entire ecosystems. We can expect to experience a higher frequency and greater strength of a number of natural disasters -- of which WILL impact our society.

Ontario was already doing a good job to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and reinvesting funds to improve efficiencies in key sectors. The emissions have been going down despite the GDP and the population rising. Combating climate change is an economic opportunity that the current Ontario government seems intent on missing out on. This is something that we need to continue to act on and use to our advantage.

The proposed “Cap and Trade Cancellation Act, 2018” is clearly missing important measures needed for a successful climate change act. In particular, I am concerned about the following:

• There are no long-term climate targets enshrined in law. Bill 4 states the government will set targets, which it can change at any time. This lack of commitment is unacceptable. Any new climate change law must include environmentally logical targets that we are obligated to reach.

• There are no emission reduction obligations for emitters. We need strong obligations for all emitters in order to reach our targets.

• There is a severe lack of transparency and accountability. Any new climate change law must include annual reporting that shows our progress toward targets. These reports should be prepared and verified by independent bodies with expertise.

• There is no funding system to provide the financial incentives for emitters to reduce emissions and to stimulate growth of the clean energy sector. “Cap and trade” and “carbon pricing” work because they are embedded in the economies of all businesses. They drive innovation and conservation of resources. Any new act must have a system to support these principles.

The former Cap and Trade program had all of these elements. Improvements to any plan are possible and can be done as needed, rather than scrapping a whole program that was working well. We need to move forward by protecting our resources and our environment, and although I am aware that this needs to be a Global commitment, the least WE can do is work together as a Province and continue to move forward in the right direction.

Thank you for providing the opportunity for comment, I hope my concerns are taken into consideration.