Until recently, few people in Ontario paid much attention to the
"Federal Backstop," the federal carbon pricing
system for provinces without a carbon tax or cap and trade program.
However, when the provincial government ended Ontario's
cap and trade program by repealing the cap and trade regulation
effective July 3, 2018, Ontario was suddenly left open to the
application of the Federal Backstop.
While the Ontario government is currently challenging the
constitutional authority of the federal government to impose the
Federal Backstop on Ontario, many Ontario corporations are
preparing to comply with the federal regime.
End of Cap and Trade in Ontario
On July 3, 2018, Ontario revoked the Cap and Trade Regulation
(Ontario Regulation 144/16: The Cap and Trade Regulation)
and all the other regulations under the Climate Change
Mitigation and Low-carbon Economy Act, 2016, effectively
ending the short-lived cap and trade program in Ontario. The
revocation regulation, Ont