Canadian Legislative Issues

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The government of Newfoundland & Labrador will be investing $ 52,000 in Green Rock, a company which installs electric vehicle charging stations. The government is supporting this initiative through the Green fund in order to reduce the province’s greenhouse gas emissions.

"The province is definitely lacking in charging station infrastructure. That limits where — and how far the vehicles can go, and with the funding from the green fund it will allow us to catch up somewhat," declared John Gordon, President of Green Rock.

According to the Minister of Environment and Conservation, Dan Crummell, greenhouse gas emissions from transportation amount to thirty percent of the province’s carbon footprint.

"By 2020, we want to be 10 percent below the 1990 greenhouse gas emissions for the province," affirmed Mr. Crummell.

In sum, Canadian governments are increasingly turning to electric vehicles as part of the solution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.



On February 12, the Ontario government released its Climate Change Discussion Paper in order to share its long-term vision of the province’s efforts in fighting climate change. In the transportation sector, the government intends to act on three aspects: low-carbon mobility, fuel, and vehicles.

In terms of low-carbon mobility, the government wants to invest in infrastructure in order to offer more travel options and simultaneously making alternative fuels more accessible for Ontarians.

"As the world moves towards zero emissions by the second half of the century, the vehicles we use will also need to shift towards zero emissions, which will require significant efforts in technological innovation. Much of this innovation is happening as we make lower weight and fuel efficient vehicles and increase provision of alternative fuel vehicle infrastructure", as mentioned in the Climate Change Discussion Paper.

Although, the government seems determined to fight climate change, the Climate Change Discussion Paper has been highly criticized and compared to "a laundry list of public policies that have been sought by environmentalists and allies for decade", declared Kenneth Green and Ross McKitrick from the Natural Resource Studies at the Fraser Institute.

 

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