OTTAWA—Who needs a carbon tax? Not Andrew Scheer. The Conservative leader is a fervent opponent of the Trudeau government’s plan to slap a price on greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. But Scheer says his opposition to the tax doesn’t preclude action on climate change. He told the Star last week that, sometime before the next federal election, he will propose a climate plan based on “a variety of measures” to reduce emissions without resorting to the dreaded carbon tax. “I’ve always believed that meaningful action is required,” he said, without providing specifics. So as Canadians await the details of Scheer’s plan to curb emissions, it may be worth asking: does Canada actually need a carbon price to slash its emissions? Read more: Ontarians could come out ahead with federal carbon tax: reportPremier Doug Ford’s cap-and-trade move will cost treasury $3B over four yearsPartisanship derails MP’s six-hour emergency meeting on UN climate reportMark Jaccard, a professor of sustainable energy at Simon Fraser University, is unequivocal that it doesn’t. He and other experts who spoke to the Star Monday said emissions reductions are possible through the alternate path of government regulation — though most doubted that a plan without a carbon price would be the better option, because pricing carbon is less restrictive to business activity and more economically efficient. “Any honest economist will tell you that you don’t need any emissions pricing,” Jaccard said. “Andrew Scheer is correct.” Jaccard pointed to past examples like the elimination of substances that were depleting the ozone layer — that was accomplished through regulatory bans, not a tax on destructive pollution. Ontario also decided to phase out coal-fired power plants between 2004 and 2014, another regulatory move that reduced emissions without a carbon tax, he said. Like the pre ...
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