Carbon Pricing in the Atlantic Provinces:

Implications for Business and Competitiveness

The Atlantic Provinces Economic Council (APEC) is pleased to co-host this exclusive free webinar briefing and discussion on March 27, 2018, which is intended to:

• help businesses understand how policymakers are approaching the implementation of carbon pricing;
• discuss how firms’ competitiveness concerns can be addressed; and
• provide businesses with an opportunity to ask questions.

Webinar Overview 

Carbon pricing is coming to the Atlantic provinces in 2019. The experience in Canadian provinces like British Columbia shows that carbon pricing can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and maintain economic performance—as long as the policy is well designed.

As the Atlantic provinces move forward with carbon pricing, under the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change (PCF), the issue of how carbon pricing will affect the competitiveness of the region’s larger exporters and emitters is a key concern. There are a relatively small number of larger emitters in each province and there are often only one or two producers in each product or market segment.  

How can the Atlantic provinces best design their own carbon pricing programs? How does the federal government’s carbon pricing backstop address the competitiveness issue? This is relevant as the Atlantic provinces can choose to utilize the federal backstop. And if provincial pricing programs do not meet federal requirements as part of the PCF, the federal backstop may be implemented, in whole or in part. Are there some useful design features in the federal program that the provinces can adopt for their own programs?

Join the Discussion

There will be lots of opportunities for firms to share their questions and provide input on this topic:

Speakers will address questions such as:

• What are the administrative costs on my business due to carbon pricing?
• What if I am the only provincial firm in my industry subject to a carbon price?
• How can I compete if US suppliers are not subject to a carbon price?
• Will output-based pricing trigger more US tariffs?
• When will I know if the federal backstop will apply in my province?
• How can I use carbon pricing to benefit my business?

Meet Our Panelists

Dale Beugin - Executive Director, Canada's Ecofiscal Commission

Dale will shed light on the issue of business competitiveness for Atlantic Canada in the context of an emerging patchwork of international and provincial carbon pricing and other climate policies. This will include a framework on how to identify which sectors truly face carbon competitiveness concerns.

John Moffet - Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Environment and Climate Change Canada

John will discuss the federal government’s carbon pricing backstop. The backstop includes output-based pricing, an example of policy design that can minimize competitiveness risks for emissions-intensive, trade-exposed industrial facilities, while maintaining a carbon price signal and incentive to reduce GHG emissions.

David Chaundy, Director of Research, APEC, will introduce the speakers and moderate the session.

Date: March 27, 2018

Time: 1:30-3:00 pm ADT

Location:  Via Webinar

Registration:  There is no cost to register for this webinar but you must register in advance. Please click here to register for this webinar.

Note: This webinar uses the Zoom platform. Participants can join from any computer, telephone, tablet or mobile device from any location, but must download the zoom app or software provided in advance of the actual webinar. Attendee information is shared with Zoom for registration purposes only.

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