On carbon price, industrial policy does reduction heavy lifting: study – National [Video]

The carbon price on consumer fuel like gasoline is drawing much of the attention ahead of the annual April 1 increase, to the point the opposition Conservatives called an ultimately unsuccessful non-confidence vote on the matter.

But a new study from the Canadian Climate Institute (CCI) suggests it contributes about eight to 14 per cent of Canada’s emission reductions, while the industrial policies, called large-emitter trading systems (LETS), can be credited with 20 to 48 per cent of the emission cuts.

“We’re in a strange position in Canada where most of the political debate has been focused on this aspect of carbon pricing, the consumer carbon price, the fuel charge,” Canadian Climate Institute president Rick Smith told The West Block host Mercedes Stephenson.

“We think the industrial carbon price deserves more focus in the public debate.”

The federal minimum carbon price is set to increase from $65 per tonne to $80 on April 1. …