Climate Change: the Ontario Angle

Webinar host:

Climate Change Adaptation

Community of PracticeJuly 21, 2015

Ellen SchwartzelEnvironmental Commissioner (Acting)

Environmental Commissioner of Ontario

• Impartial

• Officer of the Legislature

• Environmental Watchdog

• Since 1994

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The ECO’s Expanded Mandate

Annual reports on: [the Green Energy and Green Economy Act, 2009]

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Energy Conservation

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ECO’s Greenhouse Gas Report 2015

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Ontario set targets in 2007to cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions

• 6% below 1990 by 2014 (to 171 Mt)

• 15% below 1990 by 2020 (to 155 Mt)

• 80% below 1990 by 2050 (to 36 Mt)

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Ontario’s targets not arbitrary;

• International goals

• Assume we can keep within 2 degrees of

warming

• Assume planet can cope with 2 degrees of warming

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Ontario’s Targets

2014

2020 ?

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Ontario’s Targets

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Greenhouse Gas Emissions

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Greenhouse Gas Emissions

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Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Ontario’s Emissions Profile

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Options: Pricing Carbon

British Columbia:

Carbon tax since 2008; ~7 cents/litre of gas

Quebec:

Cap and trade system for carbon credits

Ontario:

Cap and trade announced April 13, 2015

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Ontario Action on Climate Change

Cap and trade announced April 13, 2015

Climate Summit of the Americas July 7-9

Climate Change Strategy promised for 2015

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Cutting Greenhouse Gases;Ontario has options

• A price on carbon

• Use our low-carbon electricity for electric vehicles

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Cutting Greenhouse Gases;Ontario has options

• A price on carbon

• Use our low-carbon electricity for electric vehicles

• Compact urban development

• Strengthen the Ontario Building Code

• Incentives to retrofit existing buildings

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Cutting Greenhouse Gases;Ontario has options

• Support the work of communities on energy

conservation

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Cutting Greenhouse Gases;Ontario has options

Climate Change Adaptation

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Adapting to a changing climate: the role of climate data

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Climate Data Roundtable: the role of climate data

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Climate Data:Why should we care?

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Check out the animated video

Climate data can be:

• Hard to find

• Proprietary

• Expensive

• Bewildering

• Hard to evaluate

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Climate Data

Needed now

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Climate Data:needs are diverse

• Down-scaled data

• Long-term averages

• Extremes

• Accredited or standardized

climate models

• Expert guidance

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Climate Data:opportunities for innovation

Helping companies find markets, manage supply chains,

manage risk

Enabling consumer access to data

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Partnering between insurance industry

and municipalities to:

• Share data

• Convey flooding risks house-by-house

• Improve decisions by homeowners

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Climate Data:opportunities for innovation

Climate Data Governance:learning from other jurisdictions

Quebec’s model: Ouranos

• User driven

• Two programs:

• climate science

• vulnerability impacts and adaptation

• Large network of practitioners

• Base funding plus project funding

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Climate Data Governance:learning from other jurisdictions

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Quebec’s model: Ouranos

• User driven

• Two programs:

• climate science

• vulnerability impacts and adaptation

• Large network of practitioners

• Base funding plus project funding

Climate Data Governance:Ontario’s situation

• Funds academic climate modellers

• Makes data publicly available

• Offers some climate data training

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Climate Data Governance:Ontario’s situation

Roundtable participants

converged on these points:

• Status quo not adequate

• One-stop shop for climate

data and “climate services”

• Climate data champion

needed

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New organization would need:

• Secure funding

• Good relationship with academic community

• Arms-length distance from government

• Focus on end-user

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Climate Data Governance:Ontario’s situation

Climate Data Governance:Next steps?

• Expect an updated climate change strategy for Ontario

by end of 2015

• Access to credible, useful data on climate change will

be critical

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Climate Data Governance:Next steps?

Uncertainty will be part of the picture

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Thank you!

Ellen Schwartzel, Commissioner (Acting)

commissioner@eco.on.ca