TABLE 1: SUMMARY OF KEY PROVINCIAL /TERRITORIAL CLIMATE CHANGE LAW AND POLICY RESPONSES
Jurisdiction
AB
Reduction Targets (2015)
20 Mt by 2020
Primary Reduction Mechanisms
Energy efficiency standards (public sector)
Links to other Jurisdictions
Not at present (current legislation requires
carbon offsets to be Alberta-based)
Renewable Fuel Standards
Sector specific emission performance standard
and hard cap for oil sands
BUT recent agreements in principle with MB and
NB signal changes to restricting actions to a
“made in Alberta” approach and there is likely
much more to come
Carbon “price” of $20.00/tonne across all sectors
(Jan. 2017)
Methane reduction and verification initiative
(voluntary initiatives until 2020)
Phase out of coal-fired electricity generation to
be replaced by renewables (2/3) and natural gas
(1/3)
BC
33% below 2007 levels by
2020
Cap and Trade (legislation not yet implemented)
Carbon tax
Clean Energy Act that requires greater than 90%
of electricity to come from renewable or “clean”
sources (including LNG)
Phase out of coal-fired electricity generation
Carbon Neutrality in the public sector (based on
GHG offsets)
Transit Plan
Cap and Trade system linked to Membership in
the Western Climate Initiative (includes MB, ON,
QC and California) – WCI reduction targets are
15% below 2005 by 2020
Member of the International Carbon Action
Partnership (public authorities and governments
that are pursuing/have cap and trade carbon
markets
Jurisdiction
Reduction Targets (2015)
Primary Reduction Mechanisms
Links to other Jurisdictions
Efficiency incentives and renewable fuels
requirements
MB
33% below 2005 levels by
2030
Geothermal incentive program
Emissions tax on coal and petroleum coke
Cap and Trade system linked to Membership in
the Western Climate Initiative (includes MB, ON,
QC and California) – WCI reduction targets are
15% below 2005 by 2020
Biomass energy support program and fund
Public transit strategy and commercial trucking
regulations (to allow for the use of wide-base
single tires to increase energy efficiency
Demand Side Management programs to reduce
energy consumption
NB
Biofuel requirements
Refurbishment of nuclear power station (65% of
power generated from non-carbon emitting
sources)
Energy efficiency initiatives (government,
commercial, residential)
General air quality legislation used to impose
facility level emissions caps, monitoring and
reporting obligations
Oil and gas rules amended to address the
reporting and management of GHG emissions
(these requirements to be extended to pulp and
paper and electricity generation sectors)
Signatories to the New England
Governors/Eastern Canadian Premiers Climate
Change Action Plan – voluntary target is
reduction in regional GHG emissions to 10%
below 1990 levels by 2020
Observer in the Regional Greenhouse Gas
Initiative (with 10 U.S. Northeastern and MidAtlantic states) –RGGI is a mandatory, marketbased emissions reductions/credits system in
the 10 states
Jurisdiction
NL
Reduction Targets (2015)
10% below 1990 levels by
2020
Primary Reduction Mechanisms
Switch from oil-fired thermal generation to
increased renewable energy (large scale hydro)
Energy efficiency initiatives (government,
commercial, residential)
Links to other Jurisdictions
Signatories to the New England
Governors/Eastern Canadian Premiers Climate
Change Action Plan – voluntary target is
reduction in regional GHG emissions to 10%
below 1990 levels by 2020
Adoption of voluntary initiatives such as World
Bank voluntary standard for gas flaring
NS
10% below 1990 levels by
2020
Mandatory declining cap on Nova Scotia Power
utility (reductions of more than 50% by 2030)
Shift power generation to 40% from renewable
sources by 2020
Community feed-in-tariff for local renewable
projects
Sustainable Transportation Strategy
Energy efficiency initiative (government led)
NT
NU
Stabilize GHG emissions
at 2005 levels by 2015
No territory-wide
reduction targets
Focus on energy efficiency and conservation
strategies
Biomass Energy Strategy
Energy conservation and efficiency
Climate Change Adaptation remains the focus
Production of a report capturing Inuit
Qaujimajatuqanguit of Climate Change in
Nunavut
Signatories to the New England
Governors/Eastern Canadian Premiers Climate
Change Action Plan – voluntary target is
reduction in regional GHG emissions to 10%
below 1990 levels by 2020
2012 entered into an “equivalency” agreement
with the Federal Government that established
NS regulations on GHG emissions from
electricity producers are equivalent to Federal
regulations and therefore only NS regulations
will apply
Worked with Canada’s other two territories to
release a Pan-territorial Adaptation Strategy and
Pan-territorial Renewable Energy Inventory
Worked with Canada’s other two territories to
release a Pan-territorial Adaptation Strategy and
Pan-territorial Renewable Energy Inventory
Jurisdiction
ON
Reduction Targets (2015)
15% below 1990 levels by
2020
Primary Reduction Mechanisms
Phased out coal-fired generation by 2014
Cap and trade
Links to other Jurisdictions
Cap and Trade system linked to Membership in
the Western Climate Initiative (includes MB, ON,
QC and California) – WCI reduction targets are
15% below 2005 by 2020
Public Transportation Initiative
Energy conservation and efficiency initiatives
(public and private sector)
PE
10% below 1990 levels by
2020
Feed-in-tariff program for renewable energy
projects
Energy efficiency initiatives
Deployment of biomass heating systems for
government facilities
QC
25% below 1990 levels by
2020
Addition of wind generation (to supply 1/3 of
provincial need)
Cap and trade (applies to electricity generation
and distribution and large scale industrial
emitters (expanded to fuel and fossil fuels,
including those used in the transportation sector)
Implementation of an energy strategy to develop
more renewable energy sources (hydro, wind and
biomass)
Carbon levy (affects large emitters such as
producers, distributors and refiners of energy
derived from fossil fuels—NOTE: this levy will be
replaced by the cap and trade system)
QC Public Transit Policy to foster improvements
Member of the International Carbon Action
Partnership (public authorities and governments
that are pursuing/have cap and trade carbon
markets
Signatories to the New England
Governors/Eastern Canadian Premiers Climate
Change Action Plan – voluntary target is
reduction in regional GHG emissions to 10%
below 1990 levels by 2020
Cap and Trade system linked to Membership in
the Western Climate Initiative (includes MB, ON,
QC and California) – WCI reduction targets are
15% below 2005 by 2020
Member of the International Carbon Action
Partnership (public authorities and governments
that are pursuing/have cap and trade carbon
markets
Jurisdiction
Reduction Targets (2015)
SK
20 % below 2006 levels by
2020
Primary Reduction Mechanisms
in ridership and efficiency of public transit
services
Voluntary performance agreements with large
emitters (exceeding 50,000 tonnes CO2e) to
reduce emissions in co-operation with nonregulated emitters
Carbon Capture and Storage (Weyburn-Midale
and Boundary Dam)
Increase in energy efficiency and renewable
energy requirements by 20% in 2020
YT
No territory-wide
reduction targets, but
20% reduction in GHG
emissions from
government by 2015 and
carbon neutral gov’t
operations by 2020
FEDERAL
30% below 2005 levels by
2030 (floor, not a ceiling)
Emission limits on all new coal-fired power plants
(and phase in of limits to 2020)
Paris COP 21 commitment
to limit emissions to “well
below 2 C”and to
“pursue efforts to limit
the increase to 1.5 C”
Fuel Emissions Standards for passenger cars and
light trucks (2014)
Co-ordination with provincial/territorial
initiatives
Links to other Jurisdictions
No
Worked with Canada’s other two territories to
release a Pan-territorial Adaptation Strategy and
Pan-territorial Renewable Energy Inventory
90 days post-Paris to meet with Provinces and
Territories to develop a national emissions
reduction target, as well as a Canadian
framework for combatting climate change.
All parties have from April 22, 2016-April 22,
2017 to sign on to the Paris Accord (55 nations
accounting for 55% of global emissions are
required to bring the Accord into force)