Blog & Opinion - Page 4 of 56

Jul 17 2019

The worst kind of climate policy is an uncertain one

Smart policy can help Canada reach its GHG emission targets with minimal economic costs. But even if we use the most economically-efficient tools available, there’s a factor that can still increase costs: policy uncertainty. When the direction of future climate policy is unclear—or worse, when policy reversal is a significant risk—the costs of meeting Canada’s […]

Jul 10 2019

So, about that “trillion trees” study…

by Brendan Frank

Climate and Energy Climate Change Complementary Policies Wonk Wednesday

Last week, the journal Science published a new study on forest restoration and the role it could play in reducing atmospheric greenhouse gases. The findings generated a lot of eye-grabbing headlines, many of which were incomplete, hyperbolic, or downright misleading. It’s a complicated study with important findings and caveats. This blog will dig into a […]

Jul 3 2019

Climate change puts health at risk and economists have the right prescription

by Chris Ragan and Guest Blogger

Climate and Energy Pollution Air Pollution Carbon Pricing Climate Change Opinion

by Chris Ragan & Courtney Howard Doctors and economists may seem like strange partners. We spend our days working on very different problems in very different settings. But climate change has injected a common and urgent vocabulary into our work. We find ourselves agreeing both about the nature of the problem and the best solution. […]

Jun 28 2019

Summary of Ontario Court Decision on the Federal Carbon Pricing Law

by Stewart Elgie

Climate and Energy Carbon Pricing Ecofiscal Commissioners Ontario Provincial Policy

The Ontario Court of Appeal ruled that the federal Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (GGPPA) is constitutionally valid. Parliament has the authority to set minimum national standards to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions under its “National Concern” power – a branch of the Peace, Order and Good Government (POGG) power in the Constitution. 4 of the […]

Jun 26 2019

Carbon pricing works in the UK

by Brendan Frank

Climate and Energy Carbon Pricing Carbon Pricing Works Carbon tax Economics for the Rest of Us

Carbon pricing is an increasingly mainstream policy approach to slowing climate change. There are 53 carbon pricing systems operating around the world and several more in the works. Today we’ll add to our small library of case studies. The United Kingdom has used a modest carbon price to great effect and now has a roadmap […]

Jun 19 2019

Exception to the Rule: Why New Brunswick’s Industrial Carbon Pricing System is Problematic

by Dale Beugin

Climate and Energy Carbon Pricing Competitiveness New Brunswick Provincial Policy

New Brunswick’s draft carbon pricing plan for big emitters came out last week, and it raises some interesting and important questions. As Ecofiscal has noted before, well-designed “output-based carbon pricing systems” are a good way to reduce emissions and protect businesses’ competitiveness. We’ve argued that providing targeted support for “emissions-intensive and trade-exposed” industries is a […]