Ontario’s auditor general says the province is not on track to meet its greenhouse gas emissions targets because the issue is not a government priority.
Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk’s findings come in a series of environmental value-for-money audits released today.
Lysyk found the government is not focused enough on reducing fossil fuel use to hit the goal it set two years ago of reducing emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.
She says two government ministries and a key agency on the file neither assess nor enforce building energy efficiency compliance, despite it being a major contributor to Ontario’s greenhouse gas emissions.
In another audit, Lysyk says her office found numerous instances of the province not following rules under its own Environmental Bill of Rights.
The legislation created in 1993 enshrines the province’s responsibility to the environment and citizens’ participation in decision-making.
Lysyk says in many cases, ministries have not provided enough time for consultation on legislation or have not posted environmentally significant proposals publicly at all.
Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck
News source: The Canadian Press
