Submitted to: The…

Submitted to: The Environmental Registry of Ontario

Re: ERO # 013-3738 – Bill 4, Cap and Trade Cancellation Act, 2018

Windfall Ecology Centre believes that immediate action is needed, in the form of strong policy and effective mitigation and adaptation programs, to restore climate stability and protect the health of all Ontarians, both today and in the future. Research shows that the cost of inaction far outweighs the cost ignoring global ecosystem disruption on an massive scale.

Recent events such as the extreme temperatures that Ontario has experienced this past summer, the increasing number and extent of forest fires and the damage from heavy rainfall and flood events, has shown the widespread impact of climate change on our health, our environment and our economy. Scientific evidence is increasingly drawing links between climate change and health impacts such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, vector-borne disease and negative mental health outcomes, to name a few. The integrity and health of the ecosystems on which all species rely is under threat from climate change and extreme weather events. Damage to public infrastructure, homes, and other buildings and properties has caused huge economic losses to individuals, businesses and government.

Windfall Ecology Centre is concerned about the loss of $2.9 Billion in Ontario funds (raised through cap & trade) and the $1.9 Billion that had been directed towards programs that further reduced greenhouse gas emissions – programs related to public transit, energy efficiency, renewable energy projects, energy retrofits at hospitals, social housing and schools, and active transportation infrastructure.

Windfall Ecology Centre strongly urges the Provincial Government to:

• Take action quickly to invest in and fund solutions to climate change in Ontario
• Establish a strong climate change policy with clear actions to both mitigate and adapt to climate change, that considers the current and long-term impacts of action on our health, our environment and our economy.
• Establish aggressive GHG reduction targets that show Ontario as a leader in both combating climate change and advancing innovation that will lead us into a sustainable and prosperous future.
• Regulate, incentivize, and encourage GHG emission reductions by ensuring that polluters pay, that innovative sustainable technologies are supported across Ontario, and that those most vulnerable including low income Ontarians benefit, either through tax breaks, rebates or other mechanisms.
• Report, no less than annually, on the progress of the government’s climate change policy, in terms of GHG emission reductions relative to targets established, measures, actions and programs to adapt to climate change, and supports provided to vulnerable Ontarians.

Windfall Ecology Centre believes that opportunities exist today to respond to climate change - one of the greatest public health challenges of our century. Taking action to mitigate and adapt to climate change can result in multiple co-benefits to our health, improve our air quality, protect our environment and strengthen our economy. Strong climate change policy, investing in climate change solutions, and supporting vulnerable populations will ensure that Ontarians are prepared for climate change today and in the future.