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

This policy brief provides feedback from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) on the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change's (MOECC) 2015 Climate Change Discussion Paper. The IISD supports the vision of a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy and offers specific recommendations on carbon pricing, the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies, the integration of adaptation into infrastructure, and the inclusion of traditional knowledge from First Nations and Métis communities.

• The IISD recommends that Ontario implement a cap-and-trade system for carbon pricing, noting that such a system is gaining international support and would allow Ontario to link with the existing joint Quebec–California market via the Western Climate Initiative. To be effective, the emissions cap must be restrictive enough to drive meaningful changes in investment and consumer behavior, and permits should be auctioned rather than freely allocated to maximize revenue for recycling into green economy investments or tax reductions.
• The IISD urges the Government of Ontario to eliminate all current and future fossil fuel subsidies, which they argue create barriers to renewable energy deployment. Based on adjusted OECD data for fiscal year 2014, Ontario spent an estimated CAD$1 billion on fossil fuel subsidies through tax and budgetary measures, plus an estimated CAD$1.8 billion in Global Adjustment payments to peak-demand natural gas plant operators between November 1, 2014, and October 31, 2015.
• To reduce emissions from the buildings sector, the IISD suggests updating building codes for efficiency, removing regulatory barriers through "green tape" reviews, and implementing green labelling to make building performance data more accessible. They also propose including fuel distributors under a carbon cap to send price signals to building owners and using carbon pricing revenue to fund building retrofits.
• The IISD argues that Ontario's climate strategy lacks sufficient detail on long-term adaptation and resilience. They recommend revising the vision statement to explicitly include a "climate-resilient economy, communities, infrastructure and energy" and suggest that the province promote green infrastructure, address climate risks in manufacturing supply chains, and encourage municipalities to apply a climate lens to zoning and emergency services.
• The brief emphasizes the necessity of incorporating traditional knowledge from First Nations and Métis communities into the development and implementation of climate action. This requires establishing a nation-to-nation engagement process and increasing the legitimacy of traditional knowledge among scientists.
• The IISD recommends integrating climate projection data into all infrastructure project planning to improve resiliency against extreme weather. They also advocate for the expansion of natural infrastructure, such as the protection and restoration of wetlands and watersheds, and supporting municipal planning for energy sustainability.

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} }