The provincial government’s four-year plan will encourage electric car use not through hefty subsidies but by making it easier for companies to build commercial charging stations. Currently, some local electricity utilities are thwarting efforts for such chargers to be built, which undermines the appeal of electric cars for consumers due to fears of limited range.
“There’s not going to be a carbon tax,” Phillips told reporters at Queen’s Park.
“But obviously, we’re going to lay out a comprehensive environmental plan that includes our approach to reducing greenhouse gases and preparing Ontario families and communities to deal with climate change,” said the minister.
In the provincial plan, there will be new natural gas conservation measures to encourage homeowners to burn less fuel to save more money.
But the Tory environmental roadmap will tackle more than just greenhouse gas emissions — there are elements aimed at cleaning up the water supply and reducing litter.
The government will force municipalities to do “real-time monitoring” of sewage to reduce the waste that is going into the water supply.
“They haven’t had to tell people,” said the senior official, emphasizing “transparency” is key to guaranteeing Ontario’s water and air are clean.
