Toronto, ON — The Pembina Institute applauds the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario's (ECO) annual greenhouse gas progress report and supports its five main recommendations. Cherise Burda, Ontario Policy Director for the Pembina Institute, made the following statement:
"The ECO report is a wake-up call for key climate actions for Ontario. In particular, the report focuses on the need for transit funding and more aggressive transportation targets and policies.
"According to Pembina's analysis, current transportation policies in Ontario are not adequate to reverse the trend of rising greenhouse gas emission, traffic congestion and air pollution. Ontario's transportation priority must be to develop a comprehensive long-term strategy to fund the construction, operation and electrification of transit.
"This will mean putting all funding options on the table: road tolls, congestion charges and fuel prices. As well, Ontario must ensure that its future carbon pricing policies - whether cap-and-trade or carbon tax - include transportation fuel and direct a portion of the revenues to transit and sustainable transportation efforts.
"In addition to transit funding and road pricing policies, Pembina's recent study shows we also need to provide commuters with better options and incentives to choose transit, walking or cycling over driving or choose a low-emitting vehicle, including electric vehicles. We also need tougher planning policies to provide affordable development in walkable communities with access to rapid transit.
"These improvements would set Ontario firmly on the road to meeting its greenhouse gas reduction targets."
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Pembina's transportation study: Driving Down Carbon
The Pembina Institute is a non-partisan sustainable energy think tank.
Contact:
Cherise Burda
Ontario Policy Director
Cell: 416-824-0256
Phone: 416-644-1016 ext 1
cheriseb@pembina.org