TORONTO — Mike Schreiner released the following statement in response to reports that the government is seeking feedback on proposed rules for carbon capture pilot projects.
“There’s no doubt that Ontario urgently needs to decrease its carbon emissions. But carbon capture and storage (CCS) is far from a silver-bullet solution.
And crucially, CCS is not an excuse to let fossil fuel producers continue business as usual.
It is critical that we do not allow this government to use CCS as an excuse to pump more money into dirty fossil gas plants when overwhelming evidence shows that renewable energy is cheaper and safer.
CCS is extremely expensive and its long-term impact is uncertain. Experts are concerned that CCS may not permanently keep carbon pollution underground. Instead, it could leak or burst back out into the atmosphere, accelerating climate damage.
In the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, this government should be prioritizing an all-hands-on-deck renewables strategy that secures our province’s place in the trillion-dollar new climate economy.
There is so much we can do right now: Invest in cleaner, cheaper and safer energy alternatives like wind and solar. Scale up incentives that make retrofits, heat pumps and EVs more accessible for everyday people.
By pinning our hopes on CCS, the Premier is again locking us into an expensive fossil-fueled future instead of investing in real, affordable solutions.”