The Province Will Achieve the Paris 2030 Targets: Ontario's Climate Change Plan

By 2030, Ontario plans to reduce emissions by 30% from levels achieved in 2005, according to CTV News Toronto's new climate change plan.

Environment Minister Rod Phillips is expected to announce details of the plan at a press conference Thursday afternoon in Nobleton, Ontario.

The Ontario Progressive Conservative Government is convinced that this plan, which implies that Ontario achieves its share of the Paris 2030 goals, "will help us meet the most serious environmental challenges in a responsible, effective, measurable and balanced manner."

The new plan replaces the cap-and-trade system, now repealed, and will not put a price on carbon, a federal requirement that the provincial government plans to challenge in the courts.

Ontario generated about $ 3 billion through the cap-and-trade system after the system was put in place in 2015 by the previous Liberal government. The successor PC government canceled the program on Oct. 31. In its fall economic statement released last week, the Conservatives said the province had lost $ 1.5 billion in revenue due to the program's cancellation.

Highlights of the new plan and commitments:

Climate change

• Improve understanding of the impact of climate change on the province of Ontario by conducting a provincial impact badessment to determine where and how the impact of climate change is likely to occur. impact communities, critical infrastructure, economies and the natural environment. The evaluation would provide an badysis to the government, municipalities, businesses, Aboriginal communities and residents of Ontario to help them develop a guide for decision-making.

• Modernize building codes to ensure that homes and buildings can better withstand extreme weather events, including affordable adaptation measures that significantly reduce the effects of flooding in basements.

Reduce emissions

• Reduce emissions from heavy commercial vehicles, such as commercial trucks, by modifying the emissions control program and strengthening the application of emission standards.

Waste

• Protect the Great Lakes by monitoring wastewater overflows from municipal wastewater systems in the province while working with municipalities to inform residents of overflow incidents.

Waste

• Focus on waste and waste initiatives, including a "day of action" dedicated to cleaning up garbage in Ontario's communities.

Landscape

• Increase by 10%, or approximately one million additional visitors, access to parks and green spaces throughout the province of Ontario, while protecting the natural environment.