CME says manufacturers rank investment in carbon capture at a top priority to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. PHOTO by Pexels.
Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) President & CEO Dennis Darby is throwing his support behind the Ontario government’s plan to eliminate legal impediments to implement Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) in the province, as part of the Less Red Tape, Stronger Ontario Act.
“Removing the legislative prohibition of CCUS is a welcome first step to enable the practice in Ontario. As evidenced in CME’s Low Carbon Transition Survey published earlier this year, manufacturers rank investment in this technology as a top policy priority to achieve net zero emissions by 2050,” said Darby.
In addition, the Act exempts customer-funded electricity transmission projects from the Ontario Energy Board leave-to-construct process. This change, which is effective immediately, aims to reduce duplication in approvals, saving time and money for manufacturers seeking to connect to Ontario’s electricity grid, according to the Ontario government.
“Following a very productive CME member roundtable with the Honourable Parm Gill (minister of Red Tape Reduction), we are pleased that the province continues to listen to our concerns, and puts measures in place that increase regulatory certainty. To achieve a cost-effective energy transition and help manufacturers grow, we look forward to our continued collaboration with the province,” concluded Darby. “…Unnecessary, duplicative processes and red tape can plague all critical elements of doing business in Ontario – from hiring, to building a new facility or exporting. It has been refreshing to see the government of Ontario set a specific objective for regulatory burden reduction – $576M over the last four years, and then meet that objective.”
