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“This is a re-announcement of an announcement to come,” said NDP energy critic Peter Tabuns. “I think they looked at (Alberta Premier) Rachel Notley and the amount of coverage she got the other day, and thought ‘this is a great idea.’”

“The Paris conference is happening in a few days so I think they wanted something to be able to say they’re moving forward,” said Green Party leader Mike Schreiner, adding he’s waiting for the full plan as “the devil’s going to be in the details.”

Ontario has no silver bullets left in its barrel

It would be easy to simply lambast the Liberals for simply jumping onto a good-news train, but it would also be simplistic.

Yes, Ontario has gone from being ahead of the country to the middle of the pack, but unlike Alberta, Ontario has already taken the obvious steps. Coal-powered generation is not only phased out, it was made illegal through legislation passed earlier this week. Energy standards are already commonplace, and carbon pricing is well on its way.

“Ontario has no silver bullets left in its barrel,” said Keith Brooks with Environmental Defence. He said the new strategy demonstrates the province’s commitment to the file.

“It takes some time to get it right but that said we are also running short on time because 2020 is approaching fast,” Brooks said, referring to the provincial pledge to bring greenhouse gas emissions 15 per cent below 1990 levels by that year and 80 per cent lower by 2050.

“I think they wanted to get some vision out, some aspiration, ahead of Paris,” said Allan O’Dette president of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, adding “none of this is easy” and the government is working closely with businesses to ensure the strategy will work and they will get enough “runway time.”