Climate and transportation policy sequencing in California and Quebec
Review of Policy Research | June 2021
Authors: Sonya Ziaja, Mark Purdon, Julie Witcover, Colin Murphy, Mark Winfield, Genevieve Giuliano, Charles Séguin, Colleen Kaiser, Jacques Papy, and Lewis Fulton
We compare flexible low-carbon regulations in the transportation sector and their interaction and sequencing with greenhouse gas emissions trading systems in California and Quebec. As momentum builds for greater climate action, it is necessary to better understand how carbon markets and other low-carbon transportation policies influence one another. First, we demonstrate that emissions trading between California and Quebec has been asymmetric, with linking having little influence on carbon prices from California's perspective but leading to a considerable cost reduction from the point of view of Quebec. Second, we present evidence that Quebec has replicated many of California's low-carbon transportation policies that promote increased electric vehicle use, where Quebec has an advantage, while deferring to the Canadian federal government with regard to policies that incentivize the production of other low-carbon transportation fuels. Third, we demonstrate that while the stringency of the policy mix of carbon pricing and flexible transportation regulations has increased over time in both jurisdictions, the stringency of flexible regulations has been more aggressively ratcheted up and is expected to continue to dominate. Overall, our findings suggest that the policy sequence observed in California and Quebec can be attributed to the political economy benefits that the selected instruments confer to governments seeking to move from the middle towards the bottom of the clean technology experience curve. We discuss a number of important research questions and associated hypotheses emanating from our findings, which provide the basis for more in-depth studies involving a larger universe of cases and economic sectors.
The article can be viewed here.
A life-cycle view essential on EV battery opportunities and risk
The Hill Times | June 16, 2021
Article can be viewed here.
By Mark Winfield and Sumeet Sooch
Sumeet Sooch's Master's Paper can be viewed here.
Enabling community energy planning? Polycentricity, governance frameworks, and community energy planning
Canadian Planning and Policy Journal, Vol 2021: Community Energy Planning Special Issue | June 2021
This paper focuses on the community energy planning (CEP) experiences within three Canadian provinces: British Columbia; Ontario; and Nova Scotia. The case studies are employed to consider two questions: to what extent do CEP experiences in Canada reflect conventional multilevel governance models in which authority is shared between different levels of government versus more truly polycentric approaches; and can polycentric, autonomous and self-organizing activities succeed without supportive and enabling overarching rules from senior levels of governments? While all three cases demonstrate aspects of polycentric governance, the cases highlight the limitations of local polycentric governance initiatives in the absence of stable and consistent higher-order policies. The findings have significant implications for the ability of distributed bottom-up initiatives to provide effective responses to complex global challenges like climate change in the absence of supportive overarching policy and governance frameworks.
Mark Winfield York University
Scott Harbinson York University
Susan Morrissey Wyse York University
Colleen Kaiser University of Ottawa
The article can be viewed here.
The entire special issue can be viewed as a PDF file here.
White paper on Elements of an Eastern Canada Energy Strategy
December 2014
Following an initial proposition in July 2012, the Premiers of all provinces and territories have agreed to work together to develop a “Canadian Energy Strategy”. As the national strategy is being developed, many particular energy issues would also benefit from a more regionally- based consensus as demonstrated by a recent energy-trade agreement announced by the Premiers of Ontario and Quebec in November. The interest for a wider Eastern Canada common energy strategy that goes beyond these two provinces was also explored in a workshop held on November 3rd 2014, which brought together participants from Ontario to Newfoundland and Labrador. Produced following the workshop, this white paper identifies key goals and priorities for action on energy from the perspective of Eastern Canada.
Prepared and supported by:
| Miguel Anjos (Institut de l’énergie Trottier, Polytechnique Montréal)
François Bouffard (McGill University and GERAD) Claudio A. Cañizares (Waterloo University) Evariste Feurtey (Université du Québec à Rimouski) Jack Gibbons (Ontario Clean Air Alliance) L.D. Danny Harvey (University of Toronto) Roger Lanoue (Montréal) Wade Locke (Memorial University) Guy Marleau (Polytechnique Montréal) |
James Meadowcroft (Carleton University)
Normand Mousseau (Université de Montréal) Pierre-Olivier Pineau (Chair in Energy Sector Management, HEC Montréal) Catherine Potvin (McGill University) Ian H. Rowlands (Waterloo University) Hugo Tremblay (Université de Montréal) Lorne Trottier (Trottier Family Foundation) Mark S. Winfield (York University) Johanne Withmore (HEC Montréal) Emmanuel Yiridoe (Dalhousie University) |
Energy, Economic and Environmental Discourses and their Policy Impact: The Case of Ontario's Green Energy and Green Economy Act
Energy Policy, February 15, 2014
Authors: Mark Winfield, Brett Dolter
This paper examines the debates around the Ontario׳s Green Energy and Green Economy Act (GEGEA) as an energy and economic development strategy through comparative public policy and discourse analysis approaches. The evidence regarding the economic impacts of the GEGEA is found to be almost entirely based on the results of economic modeling exercises. Critics and supporters of the legislation have arrived at very different conclusions through such exercises. These outcomes are similar to those seen in other jurisdictions pursuing renewable energy initiatives, such as Feed In Tariffs (FITs), renewables obligations and portfolio standards. A discourse analysis approach is employed to examine the reasons for the different conclusions being reached over the impacts of renewable energy initiatives. Differences in modeling approaches and assumptions are found to reflect differences in ideational perspectives on the part of the modelers with respect to the appropriate roles of markets and the state and the relationship between economic development and environmental sustainability in public policy. The paper concludes with suggestions regarding the gathering and availability of information regarding economic development in the renewable energy sector, and a discussion of potential ways to strengthen future efforts to understand the economic and environmental impact of renewable energy initiatives.
The Environment, "Responsible Resource Development" and Evidence-Based Policy-Making in Canada
In Evidence Based Policy-Making in Canada, Edited by Shaun P. Young, Toronto: Oxford University Press 2013, December 2013
Authors: Mark Winfield, Shaun P. Young
This chapter provides an overview and assessment of the Harper government's approach to enviornmental and natural resources policy-making.
Understanding the Economic Impact of Renewable Energy Initiatives: Ontario's Experience in a Comparative Context
Sustainable Energy Initiative, Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University, October 23, 2013
Author: Mark Winfield
Understanding the Economic Impact of Renewable Energy Initiatives, by SEI Co-Chair Professor Mark Winfield, examines the debates around the Ontario’s Green Energy and Green Economy Act as an energy and economic development strategy.
Link: More Information
Implications of Sustainability Assessment for Electricity System Design: The case of the Ontario Power Authority’s Integrated Power System Plan
Energy Policy, 38 (2010) 4115-4126, August 2010
Authors: Mark Winfield, Robert Gibson, Jennifer Taylor, Kirk Gaudreau, Tanya Markvart
Strategic Environmental Assessment and Advanced Renewable Energy in Ontario: Moving Forward or Blowing in the Wind?
Journal of Environmental Assessment, Planning and Management, Vol.15, No.2, June 2013
Authors: Mark Winfield, Peter Mulvihill, Jose Etcheverry
This article explores the Canadian province of Ontario's approach to environmental assessment and SEA to electricity issues, its efforts to adapt these processes to facilitate the rapid development of renewable energy sources, and the potential contributions that an SEA approach might have made to these efforts. The province's experience may carry useful lessons for other jurisdictions considering the interplay between environmental assessment processes and strategies designed to move energy systems in the direction of greater sustainability.
Blue-Green Province: The Environment and Political Economy of Ontario (University of British Columbia Press)
A York professor’s new book offers the first comprehensive study of Ontario’s environmental policy and what it may spell for the future.
Blue-Green Province: The Environment and Political Economy of Ontario (University of British Columbia Press) will launch Thursday, Feb. 9, from 3 to 5pm, at 140 Health, Nursing & Environmental Studies Building, Keele campus. The launch is a joint collaboration between the Faculty of Environmental Studies Sustainable Energy Initiative and the York University Bookstore. Everyone is welcome to attend and refreshments will be served.
The book explores the relationship between the environment and Ontario’s society, politics and economy through the Progressive Conservative dynasty of premiers George Drew, Leslie Frost, John Robarts and Bill Davis, the “quiet” and “common sense” revolutions of David Peterson, Bob Rae and Mike Harris, through to the Dalton McGuinty era.
Authored by Mark Winfield, a professor in York’s Faculty of Environmental Studies, the book includes examinations of the 2011 federal and provincial election outcomes and their implications for future environmental and energy policy in Ontario and Canada.
Link: More Information
[ribbon toplink="true"]FES “Studies in Ontario Electricity Policy” Series[/ribbon]
