The Cement Association of Canada (CAC) congratulates Premier Wynne and Minister Murray for proposing new regulations to help Ontario's energy-intensive industries reduce their reliance on coal and their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
By 2020, the CAC projects that this simple regulatory change will lead to an annual reduction of up to 400,000t of direct CO2 emissions in Ontario while also enhancing the competitiveness of Ontario's economy, CAC said in a statement.
"It's a major step forward in reaching Ontario's GHG reduction goals and a strong sign that the Ontario government is serious about its commitment to climate leadership," says CAC President and CEO Michael McSweeney. "This move will also bring Ontario into alignment with leading jurisdictions in Europe and other parts of the world, where fuel substitution in cement manufacturing has been well established for decades."
The proposed regulation will be posted on the Environmental Bill of Rights Registry (EBR) for 60 days and the CAC encourages the public to review the proposal. The cement industry body highlights that international experience overwhelmingly shows that fuel substitution significantly reduces CO2, maintains or improves other emissions, and promotes a robust collection, sorting and recycling system consistent with class-leading waste reduction goals. CAC concludes that it is "win-win for the province of Ontario."
