Ontario's Plan to Regulate Large Emitters

 

Ontario's Government for the People is releasing its plan to reduce industrial greenhouse gas emissions for public comment in January 2019. The proposal would regulate industry without imposing the federal government's carbon tax, which threatens Ontario jobs and the ability of our industries to compete internationally.

 

"Ontario industry is calling for a made-in-Ontario emission performance standard that recognizes the unique circumstances of our province's diverse economy. There is no justification to punish them with a carbon tax," said Rod Phillips, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. "Our proposed standard would consider factors such as trade-exposure, competitiveness and process-emissions."

 

Industry remains a significant source of provincial greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 29 per cent of Ontario's total emissions in 2016. An emission performance standard approach would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from industry while allowing for economic growth.

 

The proposal would set emission performance standards that industrial facilities are required to meet and is tied to their level of output or production. This approach does not enforce a blanket cap on emissions across Ontario and takes into consideration specific industry and facility conditions while allowing for economic growth. As part of the consultation, the government intends to explore ways to recycle any funding that is collected back to industry to finance further greenhouse gas reduction technologies.

 

The emission performance standard is a key part of the province's new, made-in-Ontario environment plan that was released for consultation on November 29, 2018. The standard would help Ontario reduce greenhouse gas emissions from large emitters and meet its target under the Paris Agreement.

 

"We believe the onus of funding greenhouse gas reduction efforts should be on polluters, not on hard-working people who deserve to be able to use their own money for themselves and their families," said Phillips. "Regulating large emitters with a system that is tough but fair will ensure we meet our commitments to the Paris targets, while ensuring that costs are not being downloaded to consumers."

 

The province's approach will be similar to that taken in Saskatchewan. Ontario will work with the federal government to accept our made-in-Ontario emission performance standards and not apply the federal system to Ontario industry, as has occurred in Saskatchewan.

 

Key industry stakeholders will be consulted through webinars and in-person meetings on the emission performance standard both before and after the proposal is posted on the Environmental Registry in January 2019.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.