The federal Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act
1 (GHG Pollution Pricing Act) received Royal Assent on
June 21 2018, as Part 5 of The Budget Implementation Act,
2018.2 The GHG Pollution Pricing Act establishes the
federal price on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions applicable, as of
January 2019, to any province or territory that requests it, or
that has not implemented a compliant carbon pricing regime.
The rationale for the GHG Pollution Pricing Act is set out in
its preamble, which describes the purpose of the pricing scheme as
a means to incentivizing behavioural change that leads to
"increased energy efficiency, to the use of cleaner energy, to
the adoption of cleaner technologies and practices and to
innovation." All of which are identified as necessary for
effective action against climate change. The preamble notes
Canada's obligations under international law, as party to the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1994) and
the Paris Agreement
