By SooToday.com Staff
SooToday.com
Monday, November 02, 2009

NEWS RELEASE

DAVID ORAZIETTI, MPP

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Orazietti chairs provincial committee on legislation to reduce greenhouse gases

McGuinty government cap and trade initiative would support Ontario’s environment and economy

QUEEN'S PARK (Novembe 2, 2009) - Today at Queen’s Park, David Orazietti, MPP presided over public hearings on Bill 185, Environmental Protection Amendment Act (Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading), 2009 in his role as chair of the Standing Committee on General Government.

“Our government continues to be a North American leader in supporting a low carbon economy with initiatives that benefit Sault Ste. Marie, including the Green Energy Act and the Standard Offer Program,” said Orazietti. “This legislation would create a marketplace that provides incentives for lower greenhouse gas emissions while stimulating the creation of new green technologies.”

The McGuinty government introduced Bill 185 on May 27, 2009, to help industry reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stay competitive in the emerging low carbon economy.

The hearings this afternoon in Toronto are part of public consultation period on the proposed legislation that would, if passed, create the government authority to set up a greenhouse gas emissions trading system within Ontario.

Several provincial groups gave deputations to the committee today, including:

- Energy Probe

- Imperial Oil

- Environmental Defence

- Ontario Nature

- Blue Zone Technologies Ltd.

- Clean and Reliable Energy Supply Group.

“Ontario is taking a leadership role in implementing a cap-and-trade system that can link to an emerging North American system,” said John Gerretsen, Minister of the Environment. “Our government is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and working with our industries as they transition to the new green economy.”

Known as Cap and Trade, the system is a form of market regulation applied to greenhouse gases produced by industry.

It is an effective way to reduce the threat of climate change caused by carbon emissions.

The government anticipates a North American cap-and-trade plan could be in place as early as 2012.

Some of the McGuinty government’s environmental initiatives and programs that have specifically benefitted Sault Ste. Marie include:

- Power purchase agreement to facilitate $400 million investment by Brookfield Renewable Power: largest wind farm in Ontario

- Power purchase agreement to facilitate $360 million investment by POD Solar group in 60 MW project: largest solar farm in Canada

- Power purchase agreement to facilitate $135 million capital investment by Essar Steel in 70 MW co-gen plant: eliminating 400 tons of Nitrous Oxide

- Over $7 million to green Sault Ste. Marie schools

- $5 million in provincial gas tax funding has reduced air emissions through increased public transportation ridership

- $3 million for Sault Ste. Marie and Region Conservation Authority for water protection

- $2 million for tire recycling project in Sault Ste. Marie

- $1.4 million to construct methane collection system at landfill to reduce greenhouse gases

- Certificate of Approval for Elementa’s innovative waste-to-energy project.

Quick facts

The creation of a cap-and-trade system for industry will help the province meet its climate change commitments to reduce GHG emissions by 6 percent below 1990 levels by 2014 and 15 percent by 2020.

Ontario has had months of discussions with nine industrial sectors likely to be involved in cap and trade.

These sectors are base metal, cement, chemical, electricity, lime, natural gas, petroleum, pulp and paper, and steel.

Environmental groups were also consulted.

These sectors represent about 40 percent of Ontario’s total emissions in 2007.

Electricity alone accounts for 16 percent.

Ontario and Quebec formed a working alliance on this issue in June 2008.

Together they represent close to 60 per cent of Canada’s economy.

Learn more

How cap and trade works.

About Ontario’s proposed cap-and-trade model.

About Ontario’s climate change action plan.

Our site’s cap and trade section.

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