With climate leadership from the U.S. in doubt, some are suggesting Canada should pull back from its climate strategy. If Canada acts alone, the argument goes, we will impose significant costs to the economy, and do little to cut global emissions. But is it true? Do we really need to wait for the U.S. for […]
We want firms to get cleaner, not smaller. So we should help those most exposed to competitiveness pressures caused by carbon pricing. Canadian provinces are actively moving toward putting a broad-based price on greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, some of them are providing cash rebates back to businesses in emissions-intensive sectors. This combination […]
Here at the Ecofiscal Commission, our focus on the costs of policy is a bit of a calling card. Yes, we are absolutely interested in the effectiveness of environmental policies (i.e., to what extent do they reduce pollution or environmental damage?) But as a panel of economists, the Commission also cares—quite a lot, actually—about cost-effectiveness […]
The topics of congestion pricing and tolling are heating up in a number of Canadian jurisdictions, most recently in Nova Scotia. We are taking the opportunity to shine a light on various forms of congestion pricing, based on our 2015 report We Can’t Get There From Here. This blog discusses distance-travelled charges, an approach that […]
In the busyness of my day-to-day work, I too rarely take the time to reflect on our progress at the Ecofiscal Commission. But reports like this one provide the opportunity to stop and take stock of just how dramatically the Canadian policy landscape has changed. Over the past two years, we’ve seen Ontario’s Liberal government […]
Last month, Toronto’s plan to implement road tolls on two of its major roads was rejected by the provincial government. It’s not back to square one, however: programs to combat congestion in the GTA continue to grow. Today, as part of a series based on our 2015 report on congestion pricing, we’re discussing high-occupancy toll […]