Wonk Wednesday Archives - Page 3 of 15 - Canada's Ecofiscal Commission

Sep 20 2017

A delicate (im)balance: policy interactions and the federal Clean Fuel Standard

Since releasing our report on complementary climate policies, we’ve written a lot about the importance of policy interactions and their implications for effectiveness and cost-effectiveness (see here and here). But one issue we haven’t yet discussed is how policy interactions can affect Canadian federalism. Interactions between provincial carbon pricing policies and federal non-pricing policies can […]

Sep 13 2017

Revisiting Albertan Scepticism

by Brendan Frank

Climate and Energy Technology and Innovation Alberta Carbon Pricing Revenue Recycling Wonk Wednesday

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 […]

Jul 26 2017

The backdoor in the Pan-Canadian Framework

by Jason Dion

Climate and Energy Complementary Policies Wonk Wednesday

The Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change (PCF) lets provinces use either carbon taxes or cap-and-trade systems to price carbon. But it also might come with a backdoor that would allow provinces to rely on other, non-pricing climate policies. This blog explains the backdoor, and why it might—or might not—matter, given the realities […]

Jul 19 2017

How can climate policy reduce our vulnerability to forest fires? It’s a complex equation

by Brendan Frank

Climate and Energy Pollution Air Pollution British Columbia Catastrophic Risk Climate Change Complementary Policies Wonk Wednesday

The B.C. wildfires continue to rage, displacing tens of thousands and bringing the incredible human costs into fresh focus. Forests cover almost 35% of Canada. They are both a tremendous asset and a source of disaster. In the face of climate change, scenes similar to those in Inland B.C. will increase in frequency. How do […]

Jul 12 2017

Backhanded complements, redux: complementary policies and linkage

by Dale Beugin

Climate and Energy Pollution Cap-and-trade Carbon Pricing Complementary Policies Wonk Wednesday

Lately on the Ecofiscal blog, we’ve gone on at length about designing complementary, non-pricing policies that support — and not undermine — carbon pricing. Our focus, as always, has been policies that reduce more emissions at lower cost. But pretty clearly, some governments are also implementing some relatively high-cost policies. Today, I want to […]

Jul 5 2017

Alberta’s coal phase-out as a benefit-expanding policy

by Jason Dion and Brendan Frank

Climate and Energy Pollution Alberta Complementary Policies Provincial Policy Wonk Wednesday

Alberta’s Climate Leadership Plan is more than a carbon tax. It is a package of policies designed to reduce emissions. One of the cornerstones of this policy package is the phase-out of coal-fired electricity by 2030. But to what extent does this policy genuinely complement Alberta’s carbon price? Today, building on our previous blogs on […]

An Open Letter from Economists on Canadian Carbon Pricing

Wonk Wednesday