Ontario unveils new environment plan in Nobleton

The plan aims to meet the emissions-reductions goals in the Paris Agreement

Yorkregion.com
December 5, 2018
Sheila Wang

The Ontario government rolled out its environment plan to tackle climate change on Nov. 29 at the Cold Creek Conservation Area in King Township.

The plan, called Preserving and Protecting our Environment for Future Generations: A Made-in-Ontario Plan, laid out objectives the province is working to achieve and highlights of actions to be taken.

Environment Minister Rod Phillips made the announcement at a news conference at 1 p.m. to a group of media representatives waiting outside the education centre of the conservation area.

“This plan will ensure we balance a healthy environment with a healthy economy, and will be reviewed a on four-year basis,” Philips said.

Focusing on clean air, water, litter and waste reduction, and land conservation, the new environment plan calls on individuals, businesses, industries, and communities across Ontario to work together to combat climate challenges and meet the emissions-reductions goals in the Paris Agreement.

Canada has committed to reduce emissions by 30 per cent of 2005 levels by 2030. Ontario has reduced emissions by 22 per cent.

“Our plan emphasizes accountability, ensuring emission-intensive industries are held responsible for those emissions while the at same time acknowledging that Ontario-based companies have to compete in global markets,” the minister said.

Replacing the previous Liberal regime’s cap-and-trade system, Philips stressed, the plan does not include a carbon tax.

In order to achieve the emissions-reduction targets, the new plan proposes to implement a series of actions including a $400 million emission reduction fund, the Ontario Carbon Trust, and imposing performance standards on large emitters.

“We’ll create the Ontario Carbon Trust, an emission reduction fund to unlock private capital and give Ontario business new ways to invest in energy-efficient clean technology leveraging four private dollars for every one public dollar,” he said.

The province will allocate $400 million for the carbon trust over four years, complementing penalties paid into the trust by polluters.

It also includes a $50-million reverse auction which is designed to attract lowest-cost greenhouse gas emissions reduction projects.

The minister said businesses are encouraged to bid on government contracts which will be awarded to the lowest cost per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions.

“This plan is going to cost us in terms of dollars, and it’s gonna cost us because we’re gonna have more climate events in Ontario,” said Ontario Green Party leader and Guelph MPP Mike Schreiner.

He said the goal set in the new environment plan is not really in alignment with the Paris Agreement. It simply matches the federal targets.

"The current targets were set by the Harper government and the Trudeau government has never updated them to comply with the Paris Accord," Schreiner said.

He said the plan failed to deliver on many of the key climate-related challenges that are facing Ontario.

“I think it’s a litter-reduction plan. And I’m looking for a climate plan sometime in the future.”

Local officials also attended the news conference, including by King-Vaughan MPP Stephen Lecce, King Township councillors Linda Pabst and David Boyd.

“I was proud to host and showcase King’s environmental heritage as a leader in conservation,” said Lecce. “As part of our Government’s announcement of a made-in-Ontario plan to protect our environment for future generations, we are acting to protect our air, lakes and rivers, while conserving our green space and reducing waste and litter in our communities.”

Pabst said she was happy to see any plan that sets out to protect the environment but it’s still too soon to tell how this one will play out in the future.

“I think time will tell,” Pabst said.