Ontario GHG emissions as high as before pandemic

Ontario’s polluting emissions increased for the second year in a row in 2022, up 5.7% compared to 2020, data from Environment and Climate Change Canada shows.

In 2020, provincial emissions reached their lowest level since 1990, due to pandemic restrictions and the economic downturn.

Gideon Forman, environmental analyst for the David Suzuki Foundation, says he is concerned.

We should reduce our emissions. However, they are increasing by millions of tonnes in Ontario.

For him, Ontario will not achieve its objective of reducing its emissions. greenhouse gasGHG to 144 megatonnes by 2030, if the province continues on this trajectory.

He denounces the new Highway 413 project in the suburbs of Toronto (new window). If you want to reduce emissions, you don’t build a new highway in the middle of the greenbelthe says.

The Ford government defends itself

Corey Michaels, spokesperson for Environment Minister Andrea Khanjin, assures that Ontario’s plan is working.

We have proven that we can protect the environment without a costly, job-killing carbon tax.

We will continue to build on our success by making Ontario a world leader in electric vehicles and investing in clean steel millshe adds by email.

In partnership with Ottawa, the province helps steel mills equip themselves with electric furnaces to reduce their emissions (new window).

In terms of electric vehicles (EV), Ontario has won several battery factory and assembly projects. electric vehiclesVE over the past few years, including that of Honda (new window) recently.

However, the province continues to lag behind Quebec and British Columbia in terms of its membership rate. electric vehiclesVE and the network of terminals (new window) recharge.

Dave Sawyer, economist at the Climate Institute of Canada, takes comfort in the idea that 2022 emissions will not exceed those of 2017, despite the growth in the population and the economy during this period.

However, with Ontario’s population and economy expected to continue to grow between now and 2030, he questions whether the province will be able to reduce its emissions by more than 13 megatonnes by then. I don’t have an answer at the momenthe said.

Based on information provided by CBC News’ Mike Crawley