The Ontario Government is making moves to become a national leader by requiring fuel suppliers to increase the amount of renewable content in regular-grade gasoline to 15 per cent.
This change is expected to result in an annual reduction of up to one megatonne of greenhouse gas emissions in 2030, which is the equivalent of taking 300,000 cars off the road every year.
A large portion of the ethanol produced in Ontario is made from locally-grown corn and by increasing demand for biofuels like ethanol, this regulation will also benefit local farmers.
To help ensure that the industry has a chance to adjust to the new requirements, the province will be gradually phasing in the renewable content from the existing 10% requirement to 11% in 2025, 13% in 2028 and 15% in 2030.
“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.”
