I4CE contributes to the SWITCH report

From August to December 2015, Emilie ALBEROLA participated  to the Carbon Roadmap committee set up by SWITCH, the Alliance for a Green Economy in Quebec, composed of environmentalists, industry professionals and experts in economy climate.

The report, titled “Carbon Roadmap” , has been released on 9th December in Paris to the premiers of Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba, and provides six recommendations.

Recommendation 1 – Market mechanisms in the Paris Climate Agreement

• SWITCH recommends that the governments of Quebec and Canada advocate the recognition of flexibility mechanisms in the Paris Agreement.

Recommendation 2 – Statement from the Government of Quebec as to how the cap-and-trade system will work beyond 2020

• SWITCH recommends that the Government of Quebec make a clear statement indicating that the Quebec carbon market (cap-and-trade system) will continue beyond 2020 and will be one of the key tools for reducing GHG emissions.
• SWITCH requests that the post-2020 regulations be established as soon as possible, especially with respect to reduction requirements for major emitters and the allowance allocation formula for 2021–2030.
• SWITCH reiterates its calls for the broadening of existing offset protocols and for new protocols to be developed, to the benefit of Quebec businesses. SWITCH also hopes the Quebec cap-and-trade system will recognize carbon offsets from outside its borders in order to promote the growth of Quebec businesses.

Recommendation 3 – Facilitating Ontario’s entry into the Quebec-California carbon market.

Recommendation 4 – Making it esaier for financial intermediaries to understand how the carbon market works and how it affects businesses.

Recommendation 5 – Toward converging carbon markets.

• SWITCH recommends that Quebec and its Californian and Ontarian partners establish agreements with the Mexico and China emerging carbon markets and with the EU ETS and with a view to the convergence of market rules.

Recommendation 6 – Closely monitoring competitiveness and carbon leakage.

• SWITCH recommends that competitiveness and carbon leakage be closely monitored due to the emerging patchwork of carbon constraint policies around the world. This monitoring should be conducted with the Quebec, California, and Ontario carbon market in mind.

To download the report.

About: SWITCH, the Alliance for a Green Economy in Quebec, seeks to accelerate the shift towards a green economy in order to build an innovative, resilient and economically competitive society that balances social equality, the environment and quality of life. The Alliance brings together organizations from different economic, financial, non-profit and environmental sectors. For more information: www.allianceswitch.ca