Remarks to the Canadian-American Business Council

The document discusses the shift toward regulatory-based climate policies in both Canada and the U.S., emphasizing the need for 'equivalency' in measuring carbon reductions across different provincial and state systems. It analyzes the economic impact of proposed Canadian oil and gas regulations, noting that a 40/40 target (40% reduction with a $40 price ceiling) would cost significantly more than a 20/20 target. Finally, it suggests Canada is unlikely to meet its 17% emissions reduction target for 2020 due to delayed oil and gas regulations and increasing energy sector emissions.

• Both the United States and Canada have adopted regulatory-based approaches to climate mitigation, moving away from carbon pricing or cap-and-trade as the primary federal mechanism.
• Canada's federal approach utilizes sector-specific performance ceilings, allowing provinces flexibility to implement diverse systems, such as British Columbia's carbon tax, Quebec's cap-and-trade, and Alberta's regulatory approach with a technology investment fund.
• There is a critical need for 'equivalency' in measuring carbon dioxide reductions to ensure that different provincial and state systems are comparable and transparent.
• Economic modeling by IISD indicates that a federal oil and gas target of 20% reduction at $20 per tonne would cost $350 million annually ($17 per tonne), whereas a 40% reduction at $40 per tonne would cost $1.3 billion per year ($33 per tonne).
• Canada is unlikely to achieve its target of a 17% emissions reduction by 2020 because essential oil and gas regulations are not yet in place and energy sector emissions, particularly from oil sands, are expected to rise.
• Sub-national coalitions, such as the Pacific Coast Collaborative involving British Columbia, California, Oregon, and Washington State, are working to harmonize climate strategies including carbon pricing and renewable energy standards.

APA

Vaughan, S. (2013). Remarks to the Canadian-American Business Council. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/remarks_can_us_business_council.pdf

Chicago

Vaughan, Scott. Remarks to the Canadian-American Business Council. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2013. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/remarks_can_us_business_council.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Vaughan |first1=Scott |title=Remarks to the Canadian-American Business Council |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=4 November 2013 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/remarks_can_us_business_council.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{vaughan2013remarks, author = {Vaughan, Scott}, title = {{Remarks to the Canadian-American Business Council}}, publisher = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2013}, month = nov, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/remarks_can_us_business_council.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }