Climate change in Ontario
Climate change in the Canadian province of Ontario affects various environments and industries, including agriculture and food production.[1]
Greenhouse gas emissions
Ontario went from 203 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in 2005 to over 157 million tonnes in 2022, an decrease of 22.6%.[2]
Impacts of climate change
Lake Ontario
The temperatures of the waters of Lake Ontario are expected to significantly increase.[3]
Built environment and infrastructure
More extreme heat is are expected to cause roads to become cracked, and materials in otherr infrastructure is expected to crack.[4]
Precipitation
Northern Ontario is expected to have rainy, warm winters and hot, dry summers.[5]
Response
Legislation
Climate Change Mitigation and Low-carbon Economy Act, 2016
| Climate Change Mitigation and Low-carbon Economy Act, 2016 | |
|---|---|
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | |
| An Act respecting greenhouse gas | |
| Citation | SO 2016, c. 7 |
| Date assented to | 2016-05-18 |
| Status: Repealed | |
The Government of Ontario imposed a cap-and-trade scheme, which would put a cap on emissions, in a similar manner to the EU scheme.[6]
The Act distinguishes between carbon dioxide emissions and all other emissions.[6]
Cap and Trade Cancellation Act, 2018
| Cap and Trade Cancellation Act, 2018 | |
|---|---|
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | |
| An Act respecting the preparation of a climate change plan, providing for the wind down of the cap and trade program and repealing the Climate Change Mitigation and Low-carbon Economy Act, 2016 | |
| Citation | S.O. 2018, c. 13 |
| Date assented to | 2018-10-31 |
| Bill citation | Bill 4 of 2018 |
| Status: In force | |
In June 2018, Doug Ford was sworn in as the Premier of Ontario, describing it as the "very first item" on his agenda.[7]
In July 2018, the government introduced the bill to repeal the scheme to the legislative assembly.[8] In October 2018, the legislative assembly passed the legislation.[9]
In October 2019, a court ruled the government had broken the law when it had repealed the scheme, because it did not hold a full consultation as required under the Environmental Bill of Rights, but an equivalent measure regarding taxes in general, the Taxpayer Protection Act, 1999, did not impose a referendum regarding the Ontario Health Premium due to parliamentary sovereignty.[10]
Federal Carbon Tax Transparency Act, 2019
| Cap and Trade Cancellation Act, 2018 | |
|---|---|
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | |
| Citation | SO. 2019, c. 7, Schedule 23 |
| Date assented to | 2018-10-31 |
| Bill citation | Bill 4 of 2018 |
| Status: In force | |
In 2019, the Ontario government imposed requirements to put stickers on pumps, indicating that the carbon tax adds a to-be-determined amount to the price: at the time, this was 4.4 cents per litre.[11]
This legislation was struck down by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.[11]
This was parodied by the Green Party of Ontario, on the basis that inaction on climate change would cost more in the long-term.[12]
Protecting Against Carbon Taxes Act, 2024
| Protecting Against Carbon Taxes Act, 2024 | |
|---|---|
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | |
| Citation | SO 2024, c 9, Schedue 5 |
| Date assented to | 2024-05-16 |
| Bill citation | Bill 4 of 2018 |
| Status: In force | |
In April 2024, reiterated his view that the federal carbon tax should be repealed.[13]
The government imposed a requirement that any carbon tax implemented under provincial legislation would require a referendum, but an equivalent measure regarding taxes in general, the Taxpayer Protection Act, 1999, did not impose a referendum regarding the Ontario Health Premium due to parliamentary sovereignty.[14]
See also
References
- ↑ Crawley, Mike (2023-09-13). "A grim report about climate change in Ontario was kept quiet for 8 months". CBC. Archived from the original on 2023-10-02. Retrieved 2025-02-20. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Crawley, Mike (2024-05-03). "Ontario's carbon emissions jump back to pre-pandemic levels". CBC. Archived from the original on 2024-05-03. Retrieved 2025-02-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Macfarlane, Daniel (2025-02-19). "Climate change is threatening Lake Ontario — lessons from the Little Ice Age show us why we need to adapt". The Conversation. Retrieved 2025-02-21.
- ↑ "Ontario could save $1.1B a year if it adapts public infrastructure for climate change: fiscal watchdog". CBC. 2023-11-22. Archived from the original on 2023-11-28. Retrieved 2025-02-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ White, Erik (2023-09-14). "Climate change report envisions a northern Ontario with warm, rainy winters, more deer and less pickerel".
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Olawuyi, Damilola S. (2016). "Ontario's Climate Change Mitigation and Low Carbon Economy Act: Pious Aspirations or New Dawn?". Consilience (16): 29–37. ISSN 1948-3074.
- ↑ "Doug Ford disrupts Canada's climate policy". The Economist. 2018-06-28. Archived from the original on 2021-04-04. Retrieved 2025-02-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Kassam, Ashifa (2018-07-03). "Doug Ford scraps carbon tax plan and sets up climate fight with Trudeau". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-02-21.
- ↑ "Ontario government officially kills cap-and-trade climate plan". CBC. 2018-10-31. Archived from the original on 2025-01-20. Retrieved 2025-02-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ McGrath, John Michael (2024-02-20). "Doug Ford's omnibus bill is bad policy that will accomplish nothing". www.tvo.org. Archived from the original on 2024-02-23. Retrieved 2025-02-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 11.0 11.1 Macnab, Aidan (2019-05-02). "Comments by ministers in legislature and media used against government in carbon tax sticker ruling". www.lawtimesnews.com. Retrieved 2025-02-21.
- ↑ Crawley, Mike (2023-09-13). "A grim report about climate change in Ontario was kept quiet for 8 months". CBC. Archived from the original on 2023-10-02. Retrieved 2025-02-20. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Jabakhanji ·, Sara (2024-04-02). "Federal carbon tax 'has to go,' says Ontario premier". CBC. Archived from the original on 2024-04-02. Retrieved 2025-02-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ McGrath, John Michael (2024-02-20). "Doug Ford's omnibus bill is bad policy that will accomplish nothing". www.tvo.org. Archived from the original on 2024-02-23. Retrieved 2025-02-21. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help)
External links
- Climate Change at the Government of New Brunswick website
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