Car-friendly policies will stop Ontario from hitting emissions targets, AG says

Ontario will likely miss its 2030 emissions targets by more than it had previously projected, according to the auditor general, who says Premier Doug Ford’s car-friendly policies may further jeopardize its climate goals.

A new report from Ontario’s auditor general said the province, which already anticipates it will not meet its emissions target, could miss it by “an even wider margin” because of recent policy changes.

The AG said the province had likely overestimated its greenhouse gas emissions reductions in several sectors, including transportation and waste.

Modelling completed by the government in January, which found Ontario would not hit its 2030 target, did not take into account the end of the federal carbon tax or changing electric vehicle mandates, according to the report.

“In addition, the projection does not reflect provincial decisions to permanently cut provincial fuel taxes and to remove road tolls on certain highways, which could encourage more gas-powered vehicle use and therefore increase GHG emissions,” the auditor general wrote.

The report suggested the government may also have estimated the reduction in emissions from industry, buildings, agriculture and electricity.