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For The Record

BRITISH COLUMBIA'S CLIMATE ACTION PLAN

Aug. 21, 2008
Office of the Premier
 
Letters to the Editor
Opinion Editorials

B.C.'s Climate Action Plan outlines comprehensive strategies and initiatives that will take B.C. approximately 73 per cent towards meeting the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 33 per cent by 2020. The plan was released on June 26, 2008.

Climate Action and Economic Growth

The Plan positions B.C. to benefit from dramatic growth in demand for high technology and clean energy products and services – areas where our province is already strong – while addressing climate action in four key areas:

  • 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.
  • Educating and engaging British Columbians on climate action.

The Revenue-Neutral Carbon Tax

  • The Plan highlights the revenue-neutral tax on pollution as a significant piece of climate-action legislation which requires industry and individuals alike to pay the same rate on the purchase and use of fossil fuels.
  • As a result of the Carbon Tax, individual British Columbians will see their personal income taxes reduced by two per cent in 2008, rising to five per cent in 2009 on taxable income up to $70,000.
  • This will mean British Columbians pay the lowest provincial income tax on earnings up to $111,000.
  • Every dollar raised by the revenue-neutral carbon tax will be returned to individuals and businesses through tax reductions. Failure to do so will result in a financial penalty for the Minister of Finance.

Strategies for Seven Sectors

The Plan describes the three-year, $60 million LiveSmart BC Efficiency Incentive Program, and lays out strategies specific to seven sectors:

  • Transportation – Improved vehicle efficiency, vehicle scrapping, less tax on efficient vehicles, cleaner buses and trucks, reduced fuel carbon and expanded transit and cycling.
  • Buildings – A Green Building Code, Energy Efficient Buildings Strategy, encouraging compact, green communities, and solar roofs on 100,000 BC buildings.
  • Waste – Turning waste into energy, cleaning up landfills, increased composting, and making manufacturers more responsible for waste created by their products.
  • Agriculture – Digesters to capture methane from manure, improved fertilizer application, community biomass projects, research on biomass fuels and green city farms.
  • Industry – A carbon emissions cap and trade system to provide an incentive for large emitters to reduce their emissions, often by implementing made-in-BC solutions.
  • Energy – PowerSmart incentives, a First Nations and remote community clean energy, alternative energy development, solar energy, smart meters, BC Bioenergy Strategy.
  • Forestry –Forests for Tomorrow, Trees for Tomorrow, accelerated forest growth and net-zero deforestation, bio-mass energy and cellulosic ethanol production.

For more information on the Climate Action Plan, visit www.LiveSmartBC.ca.

Letters to the Editor

August 20, 2009
Letter to the Editor
LIVESMART BC DID ITS JOB
By John Yap
Minister of State for Climate Action
Submitted: Nanaimo Daily News
Status: Not published
Your Aug. 20 editorial about climate change and the Live Smart BC program missed the mark because not only was the program a step forward in the fight against climate change, it is but one part of our comprehensive Climate Action Plan. [Read More]

January 23, 2009
Letter to the Editor
ENVIRONMENT MINISTER LAYS OUT CLIMATE CHANGE FACTS
By Barry Penner
Minister of Environment
Submitted: Globe & Mail
Status: Not published
The column by David Beers (Think Gordon Campbell is a global warming guru? Read on, Jan. 22) failed to mention a number of key facts about how B.C. is fighting climate change. [Read More]

December 17, 2008
Letter to the Editor
B.C. BRINGS IN TOUGHER STANDARDS FOR GREENHOUSE EMISSIONS
By Barry Penner
Minister of Environment
Submitted: The Province
Status: TBD
I would like to respond to a column by Brian Lewis in Tuesday's newspaper about new air emission standards for commercial greenhouses. [Read More]

December 12, 2008
Letter to the Editor
B.C. SUPPORTS PLUG-IN TECHNOLOGY
By Barry Penner
Minister of Environment
Submitted: Times Colonist
Status: Published December 15, 2008
In response to Randy Naylor's letter in your Dec. 12 edition, I would like to clarify B.C.'s position with regard to plug-in vehicles. [Read More]

September 12, 2008
Letter to the Editor
B.C. IS A LEADER IN CLIMATE CHANGE
By Richard Neufeld
Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources
Submitted: Times Colonist (Victoria)
Status: N/A
Re: "Hodgepodge of energy, climate plans hurt Canada," Sept. 12, 2008.
It's unfortunate your reporter did not take the time to thoroughly read the Canada West Foundation's Report, Canada's Power Play. If she had, she would have noticed that British Columbia was singled out as a leader in climate change and energy policies. [Read More]

Aug. 11, 2008
Letter to the Editor
THE PROVINCE WANTS TO HEAR FROM B.C. RESIDENTS
By Barry Penner
Minister of Environment
Submitted: Nanaimo Daily News
Status: Published Aug. 13, 2008
I believe this editorial missed the overall message of last week's report by the blue-ribbon Climate Action Team – which is that reducing greenhouse gases is not only possible, but can generate significant economic opportunities for British Columbia. [Read More]

July 16, 2008
Letter to the Editor
B.C. SETS AMBITIOUS COURSE IN FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
By Barry Penner
Minister of Environment
Submitted: Vancouver Sun
Status: Published July 21, 2008
Re: A Campbell smokescreen obscures targets for greenhouse gas emissions, July 15
I would like to clarify British Columbia's targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in response to comments by your columnist Vaughn Palmer. [Read More]

June 3, 2008
Letter to the Editor
CLIMATE ACTION PLAN GOOD FOR B.C.
By Richard Neufeld
Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources
Submitted: The Province
Status: Published June 5, 2008
I'm not surprised the NDP is still struggling to come up with a cohesive policy on climate change, considering leader Carole James is musing about scrapping the carbon tax, while at the same time, her environment critic says "we support a carbon tax in principle" (Mike Smyth – James would ditch Campbell's carbon tax, June 3, 2008). [Read More]

June 27, 2008
Letter to the Editor
CLIMATE PLAN SETS A CLEAR PATH AS B.C. FIGHTS CLIMATE CHANGE
By Barry Penner
Minister of Environment
Submitted: The Vancouver Sun
Status: Published June 30, 2008
Re: Climate plan is a tough sell with soaring fuel prices, June 26
I differ with the Sun's view that the road ahead is "not clearly mapped." B.C.'s 126-page Climate Action Plan is as comprehensive as any plan in existence, and calls for all British Columbians to be part of the solution. [Read More]

Opinion Editorials

Oct. 24, 2009
Opinion Editorial
B.C. ACTING ON CLIMATE ACTION
By John Yap
Minister of State for Climate Action
Submitted:  Province-wide
"On Oct. 24 the world celebrated the International Day of Climate Action. Global citizens in 177 countries are coming together and raising their voices so that the dangerous levels of carbon pollution in our atmosphere are cut back." [Read More]

December 19, 2008
Opinion Editorial
NDP SHOULD COME CLEAN ON PLANS FOR ITS OWN CARBON TAX
By Barry Penner
Minister of Environment
Submitted:Ming Pao
Status:TBD
It is startling and sad to see how out of step the NDP is on the issue of fighting climate change. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, the David Suzuki Foundation, respected economists and over 120 top Canadian scientists all agree – the work B.C. is doing to fight climate change, including North America’s first comprehensive tax on carbon emissions, will help us reduce emissions and create a cleaner, more competitive economy. [Read More]