CTVNews.ca Staff, with files from CTV’s Ottawa Bureau Chief Joyce Napier
Published Tuesday, June 18, 2019 10:01PM EDT
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer’s climate plan would eliminate the carbon tax and force large-scale polluters to reinvest in clean energy technology, instead of paying penalties to the government.
CTV News has learned that the long-awaited plan’s objective is to keep money in the private sector in an effort to keep businesses competitive and foster innovation.
Instead of paying penalties to the government, Scheer’s plan proposes that large-scale polluters instead be forced to invest in the development of clean technology, including investing in Canadian companies that do eligible research into cleantech, supporting university or college programs that aid in the development in green technologies, or investing in Canadian clean-tech organizations.
Large-scale polluters would also be able to pilot or adopt emissions-reducing technology as part of the plan.
Scheer is expected to unveil details of the plan Wednesday.
The Liberals have criticized Scheer and the Tories for failing to detail their plans to combat climate change.
A year ago, on CTV’s Question Period, Scheer said he would deliver a climate plan ahead of the 2019 election that would meet the Paris Agreement, without a carbon tax. Eight months later, Scheer walked back that promise on the same program.
He could not commit that his plan would meet the targets, instead saying his plan would have “meaningful reductions.”
Under the Paris Agreement, Canada had committed to reducing its emissions by 30 per cent from 2005 levels.
Scheer has billed his climate change announcement as “the most comprehensive policy announcement by an opposition party in Canadian history.”
– With files from Rachel Aiello
