General

Advisory panel recommends carbon pricing

Ottawa shouldn’t wait for the U.S. on climate change: report

The National Roundtable on the Environment and Economy, a government-appointed advisory panel, has advised the federal government to stop waiting for U.S. action on climate change and put a price on carbon emissions. Canada would enhance its competitiveness by acting now, while waiting for the U.S. to act would be far more costly in the long run, it said in a report. While Canada currently has vehicle emission regulations that match those in the U.S., Congress is unlikely to make progress on climate legislation any time soon given the legislative stalemate between Democrats and Republicans. “Harmonization, where possible and when feasible, makes sense for Canada,” said the Roundtable’s chief executive, David McLaughlin. But “in the face of persistent U.S. uncertainty as to its own climate policy future, Canada will need to look to its own options, in the right way, at the right time.” The National Roundtable recommends that Canada adopt a cap-and-trade system, with an initial limit of $30 per tonne of carbon dioxide emission. Revenue earned from cap-and-trade should be put into a technology fund that would invest in green technologies.

The Globe and Mail

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