Boosting renewable fuel content at the pumps equivalent to taking 300,000 cars off the road each yea

ANDREW BUTTIGIEG, Minister’s Office, Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks

The Ontario government is making gasoline, which drivers use every day, cleaner, by becoming the first province to require fuel suppliers to increase the amount of renewable content in regular-grade gasoline to 15 percent. This change is expected to result in an annual reduction of up to one mega-tonne of greenhouse gas emissions in 2030. This is the equivalent of taking 300,000 cars off the road every year.

“We know, about one third of all greenhouse gas emissions in the province comes from transportation, which is why increasing the amount of renewable content in gasoline is such an important step towards fighting climate change and driving down emissions,” said Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “This change will also help attract investment in ethanol production, create jobs in rural communities and assist the biofuel and agriculture sectors in their long-term economic recovery from COVID-19.”

Most of the ethanol produced in Ontario is made from locally-grown corn. By increasing demand for biofuels like ethanol, this regulation will benefit local farmers, attract further investment in the industry, and support Ontario’s competitive advantage as a clean fuel province. To help ensure that industry has a chance to adjust to the new requirements, the province is gradually phasing in the renewable content from the existing 10 percent requirement to 11 percent in 2025, 13 percent in 2028 and 15 percent in 2030.

“Ontario gasoline is on track to be among the cleanest in the country. Ethanol is clean, renewable, and already blended in most gasoline,” said Andrea Kent, Board Director and Past President, Renewable Industries Canada. “Boosting ethanol content in gasoline is a practical and immediate climate solution to cut greenhouse gases from transportation, improve air quality, and strengthen local economies without adding costs for drivers. It also means, Ontario drivers will be helping the environment with every fill-up.”

These changes were set out in our Made-In-Ontario Environment Plan and contribute to the province’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030. The regulation will provide Ontarians with cleaner fuels and will reduce their carbon footprint from transportation.

The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks regulates the amount of renewable content found in gasoline sold in Ontario. Ethanol is a renewable fuel produced mainly through the fermentation of corn in Ontario.

Renewable fuels can also be made from other organic materials such as forestry residues or organic wastes.

The government recently announced plans to develop the province’s first-ever low-carbon hydrogen strategy, which would support creating jobs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to fuelling trucks and ships, hydrogen can also be used for industrial processes and electricity storage and be blended into the natural gas pipeline to heat and power homes and businesses.

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