Protecting the Environment

The Ford PC Government has introduced the Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan to address climate change and protect our air, land and water. 

To implement this plan, the government is:

• Reducing and diverting waste from our landfills, including supporting the diversion of usable food products to support food banks and kitchens.
• Finalizing legislation that will require producers’ responsibility for the lifecycle of their products, including expanding the products eligible for blue-box recycling.
• Encouraging innovations in packaging and recycling of electrical and electronics, including batteries.
• Completing a comprehensive review of the province’s water-taking policies and programs to ensure the sustainability of the resource. This included giving municipalities more say in applications to take water from water bottling companies and establishing how water should be shared among users.
• Providing $5.8 million for projects that will improve the Great Lakes water quality.
• Launching an online portal for reporting environmental spills and hazards quicker.
• Reviewing options to provide a new ultra-low overnight electricity rate to support electric vehicle adoption.
• Building electric vehicle stations on major highways as part of a historic EV charger rollout.
• Providing $250,000 to support the development of two new battery production lines in Ontario.
• Making a $56.4 million investment in the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network to drive deals and secure production mandates for hybrid and electric vehicles, create a domestic battery ecosystem and strengthen Ontario’s position as a North American automotive and electric vehicle innovation hub.
• Implemented an enhanced emissions testing program for commercial trucks and buses to protect our air.
• Providing more than $12 million in funding through the Species at Risk Stewardship program supports non-profits, Indigenous communities and other stakeholder groups who help protect and recover species.
• Investing $30 million over five years, with Ducks Unlimited Canada to support wetland restoration and management.
• Launching the $1 million “Build Back Better” pilot project to provide municipalities with a 15% top-up above the estimated costs of rebuilding damaged infrastructure to make it more resilient to extreme weather.
• Established the Youth Climate Advisory Group to provide young Ontarians with more input into addressing climate change.
• Expanded the use of monetary penalties for polluters.
• Requiring the increased use of ethanol in gasoline to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“The protection of our environment will ensure that our children and our children’s children have a safe place to live, grow and prosper. Utilizing environmental sound processes to realize the economic benefit of our natural resources while ensuring that our air, land and water remain among the cleanest in the world is a priority” – Kevin Holland

#GetItDone