Nova Scotia joins Western Climate Initiative for tech support for emissions plan

HALIFAX — Nova Scotia is joining the Western Climate Initiative Inc. – a non-profit corporation formed to provide administrative and technical services to states and provinces which implement greenhouse gas emissions trading programs.

Environment Minister Iain Rankin says joining the initiative will allow the province to use its IT system to manage and track its new cap and trade program.

Rankin says the province can join without trading greenhouse gas emission allowances with other jurisdictions — California, Quebec, and Ontario are currently linked through the program.

Nova Scotia currently has no plans to trade outside the province as it works on emissions caps officials have said will be ready this spring.

The use of the system will cost Nova Scotia about US$314,000 for 2018-19, with an annual cost in subsequent years of about US$228,000 or more, if the province requests modifications.

The province has already met the national reduction target of 30 per cent below 2005 levels and says it’s on track to have 40 per cent of electricity generation from renewables by 2020.