Regulatory Compliance

Energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions are important issues to both the provincial and federal governments. Particular legislation and regulations have been developed to address these issues and LHSC ensures that it meets any requirements outlined in them. Below is a summary of each of the regulations that LHSC is currently in compliance with.

O.Reg. 25/23 Electricity Act, 1998 – Broader Public Sector: Energy Reporting and Conservation and Demand Management Plans

This regulation replaces the former Ontario Regulation 507/18. This regulation affects organizations in the municipalities, universities, schools, and hospitals (MUSH) sector. The requirements of this regulation are much the same as the former Green Energy Act.

  1. Organizations are required to report annually on energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
  2. Organizations are required to prepare and make public updated five-year conservation and demand management plans.

Reports on energy use and greenhouse gas emissions are submitted each year. The most recent data available is two years behind the year of the submission.

O.Reg 390/18 Environmental Protection Act – Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Quantification, Reporting and Verification

This regulation replaces the former Ontario Regulation 452/09 for reporting greenhouse gas emissions. Any facility emitting more than 10,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions has a compliance obligation with this regulation. This regulation defines how LHSC will quantify and report its greenhouse gas emissions to the Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) Single Window System. In addition, LHSC must have its reporting verified by a qualified third party. The reporting through this regulation is linked to the requirements of the former Cap and Trade program and now the Output-based Pricing System imposed by the federal government in the province of Ontario. LHSC has been reporting its GHG emissions for the last several years.

Statues of Canada 2018, c. 12, s. 186 – Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act

This program replaces the former Ontario Cap and Trade program for a carbon pricing system. Since LHSC is located in a federal backstop jurisdiction it will either enter into the program and be responsible for its own carbon emission compliance and compensation or pay additional fuel charged from the local energy distribution companies. Since Victoria Hospital generates its own electricity, LHSC has the option of registering into the program and be granted a carbon emission limit, related to the electricity it generates. Any emissions over the limit will need to be compensated for with payment to the Canada Revenue Agency or compliance credits. At the time of this writing, January 2019, LHSC is organizing its application to the federal government for voluntarily opting into the program.