While industry waits for the federal government to announce plans for a regulatory framework for greenhouse gas emissions trading, Ontario’s government says that it may join a U.S. state-led initiative.

Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty signalled Ontario’s interest in potentially joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and the Western Regional Climate Action Initiative, both state-level strategic partnerships whose mandates are to reduce greenhouse gases.

RGGI is a cap-and-trade strategy to reduce greenhouse gases through cooperative efforts across state lines — and now potentially across provincial borders. The Western Regional Climate Action Initiative is a joint strategy signed Feb. 26 between Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington to build on existing greenhouse gas emission reduction efforts across all sectors and show leadership in the absence of meaningful federal action.

Ontario said that it is committed to phasing out coal-fired power plants and this is compatible with RGGI’s focus on greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector. It also supports the absolute emission targets that define both the Western Initiative and RGGI. Currently the province has its own emissions trading program for nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide. Co-operation between Ontario and RGGI and the Western Initiative could lead to technical improvements in both programs and a possible future cross-border program for all emissions, it said.

“This is an important undertaking in our government’s comprehensive strategy on climate change,” said Ontario Environment Minister Laurel Broten.

“By co-operating with RGGI and the Western Regional Climate Change Initiative, Ontario can add to the momentum for political and industry action on climate change. A commitment to absolute greenhouse gas reduction targets is fundamental to making progress on this serious global issue,” said Ken Ogilvie, executive director of Pollution Probe.

The David Suzuki Foundation’s Dale Marshall added, “Canada needs a cap-and-trade program based on absolute emission reductions in order to reduce emissions from its industrial sector. In the absence of national system, it is great to see Ontario considering joining cap-and-trade systems in the U.S.”

“The harmful public health, environmental and economic impacts of global warming do not recognize or respect international boundaries. Ontario and New York may be separated by a border, but we are united in a common cause to seek solutions to this most pressing challenge. We would enthusiastically welcome Ontario as a partner in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative as we move forward in our fight against global climate change,” said New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer.