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 climate change has happened, is happening, and will continue to happen, and we need to act now.

Thank you for committing to 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 first to the winding down of the cap and trade program, and second, to areas for consideration for the climate change plan.

1.Winding Down Cap and Trade: For the hundreds of organizations that were taking action on climate to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and contributing to the Ontario economy at the same time - I suggest where these actions were cost-effective and made economical sense, they be given priority for funding in the new climate change plan. Organizations such as Green Economy Canada have a proven method to work with businesses to boost economic productivity and profits while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

2. Areas for Consideration in a Climate Change Plan: Moving forward, any climate change plan must include:
targets that provide meaningful, sustained greenhouse gas reductions;
carbon pricing in some manner; and
climate adaptation.

Targets that are based on scientific fact and involve our most carbon-intensive industries are required to provide meaningful change. There is limited effectiveness of targets that are unattainable - they must be challenging enough to drive change but be also reachable.

In addition to targets, carbon pricing is the most practical and cost-effective way to lower greenhouse gas emissions while encouraging low-carbon innovation (EcoFiscal Commission, 2018). Cap and trade is highly effective, with practically no impact on the economy (EcoFiscal Commission, 2018). Even if you do not support cap and trade, there are other carbon pricing mechanisms that should be considered.

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 (The Spec, 2018); the recent flooding in Toronto that caused over $80 million in damages (Business Insider, 2018), or the heatwaves that caused emergency room visits to spike by seven times the average in our province (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 threatens our very prosperity. As an Ontario citizen where climate change has an impact on my life, and influences the decisions I make today such as where I choose to work and the future of my 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.