Comments re: A Greenhouse Gas Cap-and-Trade System For Ontario

Heather Pearson

Ministry of the Environment

Integrated Environmental Planning Division

Air Policy and Climate Change Branch

135 St. Clair Avenue West, Floor 4

Toronto ON M4V 1P5

Dear Ms Pearson:

Lake Ontario Waterkeeper (“LOW”) is writing in response to the discussion paper entitled, “A Greenhouse Gas Cap-and-Trade System for Ontario” (“the discussion paper”), posted for comment on the Environmental Registry on January 27, 2009.

LOW understands the challenge that addressing climate change and industrial pollution represents for the provincial government. We respect the goals that are expressed in the first section of the discussion paper with regards to reducing Ontario’s carbon footprint and the development of a comprehensive strategy to address climate change on a systemic level.

As the discussion paper notes, businesses that offer solutions to the climate change problem will thrive; in order to help them do so, Ontario’s cap-and-trade system must be designed to create a level playing field, one on which no business can exploit loopholes to gain competitive advantage while harming the environment. We submit these comments in the hope that Ontario will use this opportunity to implement a flexible, well-designed system that reduces carbon emissions without creating new ecological degradation.

Read the entire comment to the Ministry of the Environment here