complementary climate policies

Unpacking the WCI: Backhanded complements?

Climate and Energy

As we’ve noted in our summer blog series, California has a cap-and-trade system. But it’s also got a low-carbon fuel standard. And a renewable electricity portfolio standard. And vehicle emissions performance standards. And a swath of other policies to reduce GHG emissions. In fact, the California Air and Resources Board estimates that these “complementary climate […]

Comparing Stringency of Carbon Pricing Policies

TLDR: Comparing Stringency of Carbon Pricing Policies

Climate and Energy

We have a new report out this week on comparing the stringency of provincial carbon pricing policies. In case you don’t have time to read it all, this blog provides quick overview of the essentials. Be sure to check out the full report for (much) more detail. Comparing stringency is important… but trickier than it […]

California WCI

Unpacking the WCI: Balancing stability and flexibility

Climate and Energy

In the previous instalment of our summer blog series Unpacking the Western Climate Initiative (WCI), we took a look at the legal uncertainty facing the California cap-and-trade system, one of two key drivers of the recent undersubscribed allowance auctions. In this blog we’ll look at the second driver—permit oversupply—and why the smart design of the […]

California WCI

Unpacking the WCI: Storm on the horizon?

Climate and Energy

by Simon Altman In the first blog of our series Unpacking the Western Climate Initiative (WCI), we looked at the implications of Ontario and Quebec’s decision to link with California. In today’s blog we explore an ongoing lawsuit in California that could pose an existential threat to its cap-and-trade system, and what it might mean […]

Alberta’s Municipal Government Act (MGA)

Pricing urban sprawl: New scope for municipal ecofiscal policies in Alberta?

Livable Cities

Cities across Canada are trying to find new ways to contain or reduce suburban sprawl. While the causes and consequences of sprawl are complex and varied, problems of misaligned incentives are at the core. Coming changes to Alberta’s Municipal Government Act (MGA) could give municipalities new policy options to help realign these incentives and take […]

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