The government of British Columbia has released details on its Climate Action Plan that will take BC three quarters of the way to the stated goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 33% by 2020. BC Premier Gordon Campbell calls it the most aggressive environmental plan in North America.
The government of British Columbia has released details on its Climate Action Plan that will take BC three quarters of the way to the stated goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 33% by 2020. BC Premier Gordon Campbell calls it the most aggressive environmental plan in North America.
"The plan outlines a roadmap to a new, prosperous, green economy for British Columbia, with a wide range of specific actions which will make the province more efficient, competitive and productive while reducing greenhouse gas emissions," said the Premier.
Many initiatives detailed in the Action Plan were outlined in the February 2008 provincial budget. But the Action Plan goes into much more detail on the strategies that will guide emission-reducing efforts in all sectors of the BC economy, as well as outlines what will be required to close the gap on the province’s 2020 emissions reduction target.
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It is the breadth of the Action Plan that sets it apart from climate change plans put forward by other jurisdictions in Canada and elsewhere. Virtually every business area with a significant environmental impact is covered, from Agriculture to Waste Management.
In addition to outlining the legislated rules that will govern how various industry sectors must contribute to the emission reduction efforts, the Plan provides a variety of incentives that will entice businesses and individuals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The plan uses conservative estimates to outline how emissions will be reduced in each of the province’s major sectors.
The plan presents four key avenues for successful climate action:
- Entrenching greenhouse gas reduction targets in law,
- Taking targeted action in all sectors of the B.C. economy,
- Taking steps to help British Columbians adapt to the realities of climate change, and
- Educating and engaging British Columbians on climate action.
Areas where province-wide actions are taking place are outlined in the Plan, along with strategies specific to seven sectors: Transportation,Buildings, Waste, Agriculture,Industry (with a carbon emissions cap and trade system to provide an economic incentive for large emitters to reduce their emissions), Energy, and Forestry.
The most talked-about aspect of the plan is the introduction of a carbon tax, which added 2.34 cents per litre on all fuels, including gasoline, beginning July 1. In its first three years, the carbon tax is expected to generate $1.8 billion in revenue, every dollar of which the government states will be returned to citizens and businesses as tax cuts. As well, a $100 climate action dividend is being paid to British Columbians as an incentive to go green.
Despite the breadth of the provincial Action Plan, the main focus of public (i.e. voter) concern with the plan will likely be the cost at the gas pump for consumers to fill up the family car or the business vehicle. Many commentators have noted that this could be the Achilles heel to an otherwise sound policy framework for dealing with emissions reductions.
"The political risks associated with the BC Climate Action Plan are great, particularly in an election year," notes GLOBE Foundation President and CEO Dr. John Wiebe, "but with careful management of the message, the immediate and long term benefits of the Action Plan should become apparent to all."
"Leaving aside the political dimensions and risks of the Action Plan," Dr. Wiebe added, "one cannot diminish the fact that it is bold, courageous and progressive. It has put British Columbia at the top of the list for jurisdictions around the world that are serious about dealing with climate change. The BC Government must be given full credit for its leadership."
The British Columbia’s Climate Action Plan is available at: http://www.gov.bc.ca/
