A lot has happened in Alberta since January 1. The economy is on the mend, provincial politics will never be the same and, yes, there’s a $20 carbon tax in place. Last Christmas, I went home to Calgary and wrote a blog about my conversations with carbon pricing skeptics. Over the summer, I flew back […]
Québec car buyers might have more than one reason to consider an electric vehicle (EV). For one, Québec’s cap-and-trade system increases the cost of gasoline. But the province also provides a cash rebate for going electric. Does that combination makes for good policy? Does Québec — or for that matter, any other province — need […]
Last week the federal government unveiled a proposal for the carbon levy that it plans to apply in provinces that don’t implement their own carbon price. Under the federal instrument, most types of emissions would pay the full value of the carbon tax. But large emitters that face global competition would only pay part of […]
A carbon price pretty clearly creates incentives for emitters to produce fewer GHG emissions. But there’s more than one way to reduce emissions. In today’s blog, I’m going to dig into the vault, and pull out an old piece of modelling analysis that didn’t quite make it into our reports, because it was a little […]
As winter recedes and spring fills the air, Canadians find the chalky residue of salt everywhere. Road salt is an inexpensive option to clear our streets of ice and snow, but the damages to our cities and environment cost us in the long run. Can ecofiscal policies offer a potential solution? Or might another policy toolkit […]
“Innovation” is buzzy these days, with lots of smart people thinking and writing about the role of policy in driving innovation to improve productivity and economic growth. And yes, innovation is great. It lets us use inputs—like capital, labour, and resources—more efficiently. It’s especially important in our efforts to reduce GHG emissions: innovation around new […]