Canadian retail sales edged up in July, but economists say it will take further interest rate cuts to spark lasting activity. Statistics Canada said Friday that retail sales rose 0.9 per cent, to $66.4 billion, in July, helped by stronger new car sales. The agency says sales were higher in seven of the nine subsectors it … Read more
Cost of Living5:50Why is gas always more expensive in the summer? As summer approaches, Canadian drivers have likely already experienced the all-too-familiar rise in prices at gas station pumps. A boosted demand for gasoline by people on road trips affects prices, as did the latest increase in the federal carbon tax in most provinces and territories. But there’s another key … Read more
It was supposed to do the heavy lifting for Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions targets. And it was supposed to remain a major part of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s legacy, both at home and abroad — part of an urgent global push to fight climate change. But instead of fulfilling those Liberal hopes, carbon pricing has … Read more
Quebec wants to boost transparency around gas prices. The province will force gas stations to report their prices to the government, and it’s going to publish them online. Pierre Fitzgibbon, Quebec’s economy minister, made the announcement on Thursday as he revealed a government-commissioned study that recommended making some changes to how Quebec regulates gas stations. The … Read more
Canada’s biofuel industry is welcoming a proposed multi-billion dollar package of financial support from the federal government, although concerns remain about whether it will be enough to compete with lucrative subsidies south of the border and reverse the growing dependence on U.S. imports to meet clean fuel regulations. The federal government is committing $1.27 billion toward … Read more
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should convene an emergency meeting with the country’s premiers to discuss the federal carbon price, Conservative Pierre Poilievre wrote in a letter Tuesday. Poilievre circulated the letter following the $15-per-tonne increase to the consumer carbon price that kicked in on Monday. The scheduled increase added about 3.3 cents to the carbon … Read more
The Biden administration on Wednesday slashed its target for U.S. electric vehicle adoption from 67 per cent by 2032 to as little as 35 per cent after industry and autoworker backlash in the political battleground state of Michigan. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) instead adopted a “technology neutral” regulatory scheme that allows automakers far more freedom … Read more
U.S. consumer prices increased solidly in February amid higher costs for gasoline and shelter, suggesting some stickiness in inflation that could delay an anticipated June interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve. The consumer price index (CPI) rose 0.4 per cent last month after climbing 0.3 per cent in January, the Labour Department’s Bureau of Labour Statistics … Read more
The state of Colorado is fining Suncor Energy Inc. $10.5 million US for air pollution violations. In a news release, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment says the fine concerning Suncor’s Commerce City refinery is for violations from July 2019 through June 2021. The department also says the Calgary-based energy company must double … Read more
Rental firm Hertz Global Holdings said on Thursday it would sell about 20,000 electric vehicles, including Teslas, from its U.S. fleet due to higher expenses related to collision and damage, and will opt for gas-powered vehicles. Shares of the rental company, which also operates vehicles from Swedish EV maker Polestar among others, fell about four per cent. Tesla’s stock was down about … Read more
