Have your say on Ontario’s New Climate Plan!

Having passed Bill 4 to repeal Ontario’s Cap and Trade Program and all of the climate programs that were funded by it, the Ontario Government is now consulting on a new climate plan for Ontario.  They have set up a site that allows people to offer their comments anonymously. It is very important that our new Ontario Government hear from many different people on this issue.  Please take five minutes to offer comments.

Click on this link to provide comments to Ontario Government

Let them know how worried you are about climate change.  Offer an example of the changes you have seen that that are worrying you.  For example:

• Over the last summer, the temperatures in Toronto exceeded 28°C on more than 40 days
• In Québec, July’s heat wave claimed the lives of over 90 people in only one week
• In Ontario, wildfires spiked to 1312 this year, up from a 10-year average of 716

The greatest sources of climate emissions in Ontario are the transportation sector (33%), buildings (22%), and industry (18%).  We urgently need policies and programs that deeply and quickly reduce climate emissions from all of these sectors.  Identify a few policies or programs that you think they should implement.  Here are some ideas to draw upon.

For the Transportation Sector:

• Move quickly to electrify the GO transit system
• Expand the GO transit system and improve transit service to reduce the number of cars on the road
• Establish policies and funding to encourage the development of infrastructure that makes walking and cycling safe and appealing within and between municipalities across the province
• Expand the electric vehicle charging network to encourage residents and businesses to purchase electric vehicles
• Implement polices to reduce emissions from heavy duty diesel vehicles used for freight.

For Buildings:

• Implement policies that will reduce energy demand in buildings
• Update the Ontario Building Code to increase energy efficiency, foster renewable energies, and support electric vehicles
• Maintain and/or improve programs such as net metering that foster and support the use of renewable energies

For Industry:  

• Provide loans and/or grants to encourage the adoption of clean and low carbon energy options
• Provide funds to encourage innovation and new technologies to help transform Ontario’s economy for a low carbon future.

To ensure that Ontario’s plan is ambitious, efficient and effective, it should include:

• A long-term hard emission target that is needed to ensure that Ontario’s does its fair share to meet international commitments to limit global warming to 1.5°C
• Benchmark targets that are needed to ensure that we meet our long-term target
• Annual Progress reports on climate reductions

For more information, see:  OP-ED & Letter to Minister & Submission to Standing Committee