Towards a Low Carbon, Climate Resilient Ontario: IISD input to MOECC’s Climate Change Discussion Paper

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) advocates for a stringent cap-and-trade system, the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies, and the integration of climate adaptation into infrastructure and building codes to advance Ontario's climate goals.

• IISD recommends that Ontario implement a cap-and-trade system, suggesting that linking with the joint Quebec–California market would offer greater economic opportunities and flexibility.
• To ensure a cap-and-trade system drives meaningful changes in consumer behavior and investment, the emissions cap must be restrictive and based on science, with year-over-year tightening clearly communicated to businesses.
• The document argues for the auctioning of permits over free allocation to increase revenue that can be recycled into green economy investments, renewable energy, or tax reductions.
• Ontario's buildings sector is identified as a major emissions source; IISD suggests updating building codes, implementing 'green tape' reviews, and including fuel distributors under a carbon cap to signal pricing to owners.
• IISD identifies a lack of detail in Ontario's long-term vision for adaptation and recommends that the province's vision statement be revised to explicitly include a 'climate-resilient economy, communities, infrastructure and energy'.
• The document recommends integrating climate projection data into all infrastructure project planning and expanding natural infrastructure, such as wetland and watershed protection, to improve long-term resilience.
• IISD calls for the total elimination of fossil fuel subsidies in Ontario, noting that the province spent an estimated CAD$1 billion on such subsidies in FY2014, plus CAD$1.8 billion in Global Adjustment payments to peak-demand natural gas plants.
• The brief emphasizes the necessity of incorporating traditional knowledge from First Nations and Métis communities and establishing a nation-to-nation engagement process for climate action.

APA

Harris, M., Gass, P., Hammill, A., Parry, J.-E., Dion, J., Repetto, R., & Touchette, Y. (2015). Towards a Low Carbon, Climate Resilient Ontario: IISD input to MOECC’s Climate Change Discussion Paper. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/towards-low-carbon-climate-resilient-ontario-iisd-input-moecc-paper.pdf

Chicago

Harris, Melissa, Philip Gass, Anne Hammill, Jo-Ellen Parry, Jason Dion, Robert Repetto, and Yanick Touchette. Towards a Low Carbon, Climate Resilient Ontario: IISD input to MOECC’s Climate Change Discussion Paper. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2015. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/towards-low-carbon-climate-resilient-ontario-iisd-input-moecc-paper.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{harris2015towards, author = {Harris, Melissa and Gass, Philip and Hammill, Anne and Parry, Jo-Ellen and Dion, Jason and Repetto, Robert and Touchette, Yanick}, title = {{Towards a Low Carbon, Climate Resilient Ontario: IISD input to MOECC’s Climate Change Discussion Paper}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2015}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/towards-low-carbon-climate-resilient-ontario-iisd-input-moecc-paper.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }