ADAM OLSEN -- My question is, ‘Will she provide the right signal for a clean recovery by telling us when her government will restore the scheduled carbon tax increase?’
Yesterday I asked the Minister of Environment when the provincial
government will restore the scheduled carbon tax increase. A few months ago,
this government delayed, indefinitely, the next scheduled carbon tax increase.
In the current economic context, this may be seen as a tough question, but it
is now more than ever that we need to talk about the price signals that we will
use to shape our recovery.
I also asked if government plans to use sectoral targets in their
recovery strategy to ensure we are in line with legislated emission reductions.
As we work to recover from a badly damaged economy with both an immediate and
long view, establishing sectoral targets will help us achieve the prosperous
and clean future that British Columbians want.
[Transcript]: GOVERNMENT ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY
A. Olsen:
The COVID-19 crisis exposed existential threats to our society and, of
course, our economy. But as we plan our recovery from COVID-19, we remain
extremely vulnerable to the economic and social crisis that can be brought on
by degrading climate.
A few months ago, this government delayed indefinitely the next
scheduled increase to the price of carbon. In the current economic context,
this may be seen as a tough question. But it is now, more than ever, that we
need to talk about the price signals that we will use to shape our recovery.
Economists agree that consistent, scheduled increases to the price of
carbon are essential to its effectiveness as a tool. When the government
remains consistent in our policy to raise the incentive to decarbonize and
innovate, it provides businesses with the certainty that they need to plan for
their investments in moving to a clean economy. We need a clean recovery. If we
don't continue with progressive carbon pricing, we risk destroying the progress
that we have created thus far and entering into a more carbon-intensive
recovery.
My question is to the Minister of Finance. Will she provide the right
signal for a clean recovery by telling us when her government will restore the
scheduled carbon tax increase?
Mr. Speaker:
We seem to have a technical glitch. Minister of Finance, perhaps we
could come back.
Minister of Environment: Hon. G. Heyman:
Thank you to the member for the question. British Columbia has the most
robust carbon tax in North America. We have provided predictability to British
Columbians and to industry by laying out an advanced schedule that maintains
that leadership and that shows where we're going. But we also know that the
carbon tax is not the only tool necessary to make advances in the face of the
climate crisis.
We have increased the climate action credit for British Columbians to
help families deal with the cost and make the changes. We also have the CleanBC
industrial incentive program to do the same thing. We also have a suite of
regulations, and we're investing well over $1 billion over a four-year period
to fight climate change.
But the member is right. We faced, in March, a COVID crisis. It doesn't
mean we turn away from our commitment to climate action. If anything, it's
inspired us to double down and ensure that CleanBC and climate action will be
at heart of our economic recovery. But I don't believe that it's responsible
government, in the face of an immediate crisis that affected every business and
every person in every corner of British Columbia, to move ahead without
thinking about the impacts of not making an adjustment to our plan.
We deferred the increase in the carbon tax for review by September 30.
That review will take place. It will take place in the context of our economic
recovery plans as well as the state of COVID. We recognize the climate
emergency. We also recognize the COVID crisis. We believe it's possible to
address both at the same time. That's exactly what we intend to do.
Mr. Speaker:
Leader Third Party on a supplemental.
A. Olsen:
Thank you to the minister for the very thorough answer and for the
answer.
Sectoral targets, as enabled by last year's Climate Change
Accountability Amendment Act, need to be set by March 2021. This is also an
important tool. It assists industry and the public to identify where emissions
originate, what policies are working and those that aren't. Transparent,
data-driven sectorial targets can assist us in balancing our current emission
rates and reductions that are necessary to meet our legislative targets.
As we work to recover from a badly damaged economy with both an
immediate and a long view, establishing sectorial targets will help us to
achieve the prosperous and clean future that British Columbians want.
My question is again to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Strategy. Has the minister asked his staff to use sectoral targets to ensure
that our recovery strategy is in line with the emission reductions that we need
to achieve CleanBC?
Hon. G. Heyman:
Thank you again to the member.
We're very proud of the work we've done to create the CleanBC plan. Part
of that was creating changes to the Climate Change Accountability Act, the
interim emissions target as well as the establishment in legislation of the
responsibility to create sectoral targets.
We did that in consultation with the Green caucus, as the member well
knows. We also consulted quite broadly in the creation of that new legislation.
We are working hard to do the engagement necessary with environmental
organizations, with industry, with British Columbians, with municipalities,
with Indigenous people, to ensure that we get the targets right and that we do
it in a way that they can achieve their purpose.
Their purpose is to provide certainty, to provide guideposts along the
way to meeting our legislated targets, to provide a road map to get there.
We have much engagement left to do, but we are on target to be setting
those targets as required by legislation.
We also are working very, very hard on ensuring that we have a
broad-based set of recommendations for cabinet consideration for specific items
in our economic recovery plans that will provide jobs, that will provide
equity, that will lift up communities and Indigenous people, that will support
the economy of British Columbia and move us further along the pathway to
meeting our emission reduction targets and entrenching CleanBC in the future of
British Columbians.
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