Ontario urged to phase in carbon rules
By Vanessa Lu, The Toronto Star.
Ontario is being urged to phase in its new carbon pricing program to give consumers and small businesses a chance to adjust to higher natural gas costs.
Under the cap-and-trade system that the province is joining with California and Quebec in 2017, Ontario expects to generate $1.9 billion next year, up from initial estimates of $1.3 billion.
“Our concern is it is households and small businesses that will bear most of that cost,” said Tanya Mushynski, general manager of cap-and-trade and legal issues for Union Gas, which has 1.4 million customers across Ontario.