TORONTO, ON — In 20 years, Ontario drivers could be using 25 per cent less fuel than today, saving the province money and reducing environmental damage, according
to a new report by the Pembina Institute.
The report, Bridging the Gulf, highlights the
connection between the choices made by commuters in Ontario, and the negative
impacts of oil extraction in North America in light of the recent oil spill in the
Gulf of Mexico and ongoing ecological impacts from oilsands development. It
focuses exclusively on personal transportation — how Ontarians get around every
day — and presents five key actions to reduce oil consumption based on policy
changes that are already underway in the province.
"Ontario is in an excellent position — possibly the best
in Canada — to start making significant reductions in transportation fuel use,"
said Cherise Burda, lead author and Ontario Policy Director at the Pembina
Institute. "It really is possible to put these policies into action. We have everything in place — from a
fantastic transit plan that just requires funding, to an electricity grid that
is becoming greener and can accommodate electric vehicles."
Ontario consumes a third of
all the refined petroleum in Canada, and almost all (over 80 per cent) of that oil
is used by the transportation sector.
"Ontarians can be leaders in reducing the growing
environmental and social impacts of oilsands production and offshore drilling,"
said Simon Dyer, Director of Pembina's Oilsands Program. "Escalating global
demand for oil is hastening oil production, weakening regulations and
increasing risks. By actually reducing its demand, Ontario's drivers can become
part of the solution to reverse this trend."
The total amount of oil leaked by BP's Deepwater Horizon
oil well could have fueled 20 per cent of Ontario's vehicles for the duration of
the spill. Pembina's proposed five actions can save that same amount of oil and
more. In 10 years, the recommended policy changes would keep $1 billion per
year in the province — money that is currently spent on oil imports, but
instead could be invested in jobs, transit or technology.
The greatest savings in the short term come from a package
of "commuter choice" policies that include pay-as-you-drive auto insurance,
live-where-you-work mortgage breaks, road pricing policies such as
high-occupancy vehicle lane tolls, and a regional gas tax offset by incentives
to take transit or ride a bike.
"It is
all about choice," Burda said. "Commuters need practical options that make it
easier to leave the car at home, and worthwhile financial incentives to help those
who can't let go of the steering wheel choose cleaner cars."
Bridging the Gulf presents the preliminary recommendations of a more
detailed study Pembina is conducting to identify a broader and more
comprehensive suite of personal transportation policies that can be implemented
in Ontario to further reduce oil demand. The five actions outlined in this
report represent feasible and existing personal transportation policies that
the Ontario government can act on now to begin reducing the province's
consumption of oil today.
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Download the full report, or the one-page overview
of key findings.
Contact:
Cherise Burda
Director, Ontario Policy
Cell: 416-824-0256
cheriseb@pembina.org
Simon Dyer
Director, Oilsands
Cell: 403-322-3937
simond@pembina.org
