Nova Scotia and pollution pricing

Protecting the environment and growing the economy go together. In 2016, the federal government worked with provinces, territories, and with Indigenous Peoples on Canada’s first comprehensive climate action plan, which includes a stringent, fair, and efficient price on carbon pollution.

As part of Canada’s plan, provinces and territories had the flexibility to maintain or develop a carbon pollution pricing system that works for their circumstances, provided it meets the federal standard.

Nova Scotia’s planned carbon pollution pricing system is on track to meet the federal benchmark stringency requirements.

Please contact the Province of Nova Scotia for additional details and information on its planned carbon pollution pricing system and program.

Canada’s clean growth investments in Nova Scotia

The federal government’s Low Carbon Economy Fund is reducing emissions and creating opportunities in Nova Scotia by providing over $56 million to support projects that:

  • Improve the quality and comfort of homes through energy efficiency and clean energy retrofits for electric and oil heated residences.
  • Help make energy efficiency improvements to space and water heating systems to help make it more affordable to heat homes in winter.
  • Support the SolarHomes program, which will make solar power more affordable and accessible for at least 2,000 Nova Scotian households over the next four years.

Since 2016, the Government of Canada has allocated over $321 million for investments in Nova Scotia’s public transit projects, including purchasing a new Halifax ferry and bringing Wi-Fi on board buses in the Annapolis Valley. This is how we’re working to make sure that public transit is available for all and that people can get where they need to go, quickly and safely, while reducing pollution. It’s part of the Government’s Investing in Canada Plan.

In addition, the Government of Canada has allocated over $381 million for investments in green infrastructure in Nova Scotia, for projects that reduce emissions, build resilience to the impacts of climate change, or provide additional environmental benefits such as clean air and clean water. The governments of Nova Scotia and Canada are working together to fund priority projects that will help reduce pollution and grow the economy.

Investing in new technologies is also critical to Canada’s economic and environmental plan.  Natural Resources Canada’s Canada program, has provided $1 million to the Offshore Energy Research Association, which advances the clean energy opportunities of tidal energy. This research aims to reduce uncertainty and investment risk and lower the cost of tidal electricity in Canada.

The federal government is also making direct investments to support the development and deployment of clean technologies.

  • Natural Resources Canada invested $29.8 million to support Halagonia Tidal Energy Ltd.’s $117 million project to provide clean electricity throughout Nova Scotia. The tidal energy project will cut pollution, improve air quality and create jobs.
  • Through Sustainable Development Technology Canada, $2.6 million was provided to support Sustane Chester Inc., a waste management company that can potentially eliminate the need for landfills by 90 per cent.
  • Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada invested $510,000 in CarbonCure, creating well-paying middle-class jobs and new business opportunities for Canadians and leading to cleaner technologies that result in less air pollution and healthier communities.

To protect Canadians from the impacts of climate change, Canada is collaborating with Nova Scotia and other Atlantic provinces to create a regional climate expert organization to jointly deliver climate services with the Government of Canada’s Canadian Centre for Climate Services. Other initiatives, such as the Indigenous Community-Based Climate Monitoring and First Nations Adapt programs, are increasing Nova Scotia’s resilience to a changing climate by supporting risk assessments of wastewater systems and increased understanding of local climate impacts to help the province adapt to climate change.

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