xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) & səl̓ilwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Territories / VANCOUVER — Lawyers with the West Coast Environmental Law Association expressed shock yesterday after an announcement suggesting that the BC NDP would end its consumer carbon price if the federal government drops its requirement for the law.
With BC nowhere near meeting its 2025 greenhouse gas reduction target, any BC government that moves away from the Province’s carbon pricing is tearing up a key component of BC’s climate plan and undermining the safety of British Columbians.
“After the wildfires, floods and heat waves BC has experienced recent years, we absolutely need a science-based plan to protect British Columbians from climate change and reduce our greenhouse gas pollution,” said Andrew Gage, Staff Lawyer with West Coast Environmental Law. “And BC’s plan has, for the past 17 years, relied on carbon pricing.”
“Dropping key tools to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on a political whim without replacing them and demonstrating a credible path to achieve climate targets would be immoral. Right now, it is virtually certain that BC will fail to meet its legislated 2025 target of 16% reductions. Our emissions today are roughly what they were when BC first started trying to reduce emissions in 2007.”
The Canadian Climate Institute has demonstrated that climate change is already slowing economic growth in Canada by about 50% (with an expected $25 billion annual reduction in Canada’s GDP in 2025). By reducing greenhouse gases and building more resilient communities, Canada has the potential to reduce future climate losses by 75%.
“British Columbians face a high cost of living, and climate change is making our lives more expensive. A politics-first, short-term approach to climate change is going to mean even higher costs in the years to come,” said Gage. “If the provincial government wants to limit the burden on individual consumers to reduce emissions, we need a credible plan to ensure BC meets its climate targets and holds major polluters accountable.”
Premier David Eby on September 12th responded to a reporter’s question stating that the BC NDP would drop the carbon price if the Canadian government drops the national requirement for a price. The BC Conservatives are campaigning to “Scrap the Tax,” while the BC Greens support retaining the tax.
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For more information, please contact:
Andrew Gage | Staff Lawyer, West Coast Environmental Law
604-601-2506, agage@wcel.org
Authorized by West Coast Environmental Law Association, registered sponsor under the Election Act, admin@wcel.org