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. I am writing because I and many other Ontarians are suffering the effects of climate change, because Climate Change will continue to happen, and because we need to act now.

Thank you for committing to establish targets and prepare a climate change plan that establishes targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Ontario as outlined on p.2 of the Cap and Trade Cancellation Act, 2018. My comments relate to the new climate action plan.

Moving forward, any climate change plan must include:
targets that provide meaningful, sustained greenhouse gas reductions;
carbon pricing; and
climate adaptation.

Emissions reduction targets must be evidence-based and involve the most carbon-intensive activities and industries in Ontario. If the targets are unattainable or not ambitious enough, they will fail to drive change. These targets must affect the largest emissions sources in Ontario, including, but not limited to, natural gas and gasoline.

In addition to targets, carbon pricing is the most practical and cost-effective way to lower greenhouse gas emissions while encouraging low-carbon innovation (1- EcoFiscal Commission, 2018). Cap and trade is highly effective, with practically no impact on the economy (2 -EcoFiscal Commission, 2018). Alternatively, a direct tax on emissions beginning low and rising annually has also been proven effective (3 - Anthesis Enveco, 2018).

Finally, any climate change plan must include climate adaptation efforts to prepare us for the impacts. We are seeing the rise of more extreme weather events here in Ontario, whether the 39 wildfires in northern Ontario that decimated tourism and cottages (4 - The Spec, 2018); the recent flooding in Toronto that caused over $80 million in damages (5 - Business Insider, 2018), or the heatwaves that caused emergency room visits to spike by seven times the average in our province (6 - CP24, 2018).

These extreme weather impacts will only worsen in the years to come if we do not act on climate change now. Taking no or limited action directly threatens my health and prosperity as an Ontario resident and Canadian citizen. Climate change has an impact on my life. It already makes it difficult for me to work productively in the summer due to the extended heatwaves which have become more common. I worry that it will affect my health through flooding or other storm damage. Soon, it will also put our food supplies at risk as weather becomes less predictable and farms cannot produce as much food. Climate change influences the decisions I make every day such as where I choose to work and whether or not I have children. I need to know my government has a plan that will protect my health and my future. The government must implement a plan as soon as possible that achieves, at minimum, the same results that the Cap and Trade program did. Indeed, you have the power to do even better than the Cap and Trade program, demonstrating that Ontario cares about business and the wellbeing of its citizens.

Links:
(1) https://ecofiscal.ca/carbon-pricing/fast-facts/
(2) https://ecofiscal.ca/carbon-pricing/
(3) http://www.enveco.se/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Anthesis-Enveco-rapport…
(4) https://www.thespec.com/news-story/8768707-twelve-of-39-northeast-ontar…
(5) https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/toronto-flood-causes-ov…
(6) https://www.cp24.com/news/heat-wave-may-be-responsible-for-3-deaths-in-…