Issued Set Aside Allowances - Ontario’s Emissions Trading Program Data

This historic dataset includes set aside allowances that were issued under the now revoked Emissions Trading Program, by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

The owner of a set-aside reduction was eligible to apply to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks to convert the set-aside reduction into a set-aside allowance. A set-aside reduction was an approved reduction in emissions by Ontario’s fossil-fuel generation stations, caused by a renewable energy or electricity conversation project.

The program was set out under O. Reg. 397/01: Emissions Trading and O. Reg. 194/05: Industry Emissions - Nitrogen Oxides and Sulphur Dioxide, and ended in February 2021, as the program achieved its objectives by meeting its emission reduction obligations and targets.

The program set limits for nitrogen oxides (NOX) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions from regulated facilities and allowed for the transfer or trade of emission allowances and credits between facilities, to provide flexibility for compliance. Regulated facilities included Ontario's large electricity generators, and petroleum, iron and steel, pulp and paper, flat glass, cement, carbon black, and base metal smelting facilities.