Burning Our Money to Warm the Planet Canada's Ineffective Efforts to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The past 15 years of policies for reducing domestic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, in addition to 25 years of programs by electric utilities to reduce or shift electricity demand, provide a large body of evidence for assessing the effectiveness of subsidies and information policies in influencing energy use and associated GHG emissions. This study uses this information to calculate the likely effect on Canadian GHG emissions of a long-term continuation of the policy approach represented by Project Green. The first part of the study recounts the Canadian policy approach to GHG emission reduction of the past 15 years and assesses the past and likely future effectiveness of this approach. The second part presents a 35-year (2005-2040) simulation of what would happen to Canadian GHG emissions if the government were to continue the approach epitomizes by Project Green. The third part discusses the lessons for policy design and then suggests alternative policy approaches for GHG emission control.