Climate Change: the Ontario Angle · 7/21/2015 · Ontario Action on Climate Change Cap and trade...
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Climate Change: the Ontario Angle Webinar host: Climate Change Adaptation Community of Practice July 21, 2015 Ellen Schwartzel Environmental Commissioner (Acting)
Transcript of Climate Change: the Ontario Angle · 7/21/2015 · Ontario Action on Climate Change Cap and trade...
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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