I support maintaining the…

I support maintaining the Cap and Trade system, which established a market for carbon credits with our partners (the Province of Quebec and the State of California) to incent innovation, encourage investment in the carbon-free economy, and establish a polluter-pay system for Ontario. Cap and Trade was starting to work: Ontario’s “clean-tech” sector was the fastest growing in Ontario and the selling of carbon credits raised $2.9 billion to be spent on programs further reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The hard work required to "sell" this idea to industry has already been done. Back-peddling on this sends a message that investing in Ontario is uncertain and will most likely prevent future similar initiatives.

However, the Government of Ontario could also chose to make to make the Cap and Trade program revenue neutral, returning money back to Ontarian's as tax credits. This could directly benefit low-income Ontarian's as they adapt to this new reality. As a last resort, if the Cap and Trade system is dismantled, the Government of Ontario must establish a plan that truly seeks to decrease carbon emissions. I support the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario’s recommendations for a path forward.

Any new plan must put forward by the Government must not be a re-packaging of existing climate initiatives or be solely focused on adaptation to climate change. This plan must include measurable and transparent targets. We cannot afford to simple adapt to climate change. The people of Ontario will pay the price of not acting quickly on this issue.

Market-based solutions to decreasing carbon emissions are considered to be typically conservative solutions; therefore, by signalling a departure from market-based solutions, I am deeply concerned that an effective solution will not fill the void left by pulling out of the Cap and Trade. This may lead the public to believe no tangible solution will be put forward. Please do not make our planet's future a partisan issue.