Canadian climate policy review 2013: Federal government pulls back and provinces work together
WINNIPEG—March 25, 2014—Canadian climate policy development stalled in 2013 due to a loss of political will at the federal level to move forward on greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations while the country’s provinces worked independently and in partnerships to pick up the slack. This is according to a new review of Canadian governments’ policies on climate change in 2013, published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).
Regulating Carbon Emissions in Canada: Climate policy year in review and trends, 2013, written by Dave Sawyer and Philip Gass, explores how in 2013 the federal government was unable to make progress in developing various processes to regulate GHG emissions in the oil and gas sectors.
Sawyer and Gass note that several provinces filled this policy gap. They cite these success stories: Ontario’s advances on coal-fired electricity; Quebec’s cap-and-trade system with California; and British Columbia’s maintenance of its carbon tax.
The paper also looks forward and makes recommendations for 2014. It does not foresee strong federal movement when it comes to GHG regulations, however, is hopeful about the emerging role of the provinces. It recommends embracing the current patchwork of provincial policies that are continuing to emerge, designing equivalency to be flexible in the long term, and encouraging Canada’s provincial policy labs.
David Sawyer is an environmental economist with over 20 years of national and international experience and a solid reputation as a leader in the economics of climate policy and energy futures in Canada. He served as vice-president, Climate, Energy and Partnerships with IISD for two years until June 2013. Philip Gass is a project manager with IISD’s Climate Change and Energy program, specializing in climate change and energy policy at the sub-national and national level in North America and international developments within the UNFCCC process.
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About the International Institute for Sustainable Development
The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an independent think tank that delivers the knowledge to act. Our mission is to promote human development and environmental sustainability. Our big-picture view allows us to address the root causes of some of the greatest challenges facing our planet today – ecological destruction, social exclusion, unfair laws and economic and social rules, a changing climate. With offices in Winnipeg, Geneva, Ottawa and Toronto, our work impacts lives in nearly 100 countries.
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