Ontario Green Party leader says province falls short with climate targets

Ontario Green Party leader and Guelph MPP Mike Schreiner says the provincial government's new environment plan weakens Ontario's response to climate change.

Environment Minister Rod Phillips unveiled the plan on Thursday. It focuses on clean air and water, litter and waste reduction, and land conservation.

The plan also outlines the government's strategy to address climate change, with a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030.

While the government says the goal is in line with the Paris climate agreement, Schreiner says it simply matches federal targets, which are also outdated.

"The current targets were set by the Harper government and the Trudeau government has never updated them to comply with the Paris Accord," Schreiner said.

"Now that Ontario has adopted the exact same target, Ontario is not in alignment with the Paris Accord as well."

One of the long term goals of the Paris agreement is to prevent the global average temperature from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Schreiner pointed to recent findings from the IntergovernmentalPanel on Climate Change, which suggest emissions need to be reduced by 45 per cent from 2010 levels to meet that goal.

He added that the provincial plan does not have concrete solutions to reduce greenhouse gas pollutionfrom big emitters.

"Most of the elements of this plan are really around reducing litter, protecting water and green space. I'm all for those things, but what we really need in the face of the crisis that we're currently facing, the climate crisis, is a real plan to reduce greenhouse gas pollution."

Schreinersaid manyeconomists and policy makers advocate for putting a price on pollution.

According to the plan, the province will establish emission performance standards for large emitters that "[take] into consideration specific industry and facility conditions while allowing for economic growth."

The government also plans to launch a $400 million fund called the Ontario Carbon Trust, to encourage private investment in clean technologies that will help reduce emissions.