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BC Budget 2008 -- Climate Promises Fulfilled?

One Year After Campbell’s Bold Throne Speech

On the eve of the 2008 “Climate Budget”, leading BC environmental organizations are looking to see the climate promises of the 2007 Throne Speech fulfilled.

“The bold commitments of the BC government deserve equally bold fiscal measures to ensure we meet them,” said Lisa Matthaus, Campaigns Director at Sierra Club BC. “BC has very deliberately put itself in a leadership position in its commitments to fight climate change, but Tuesday’s budget will be the true test of whether the government is rising to meet the climate challenge.”

In the February 2007 Speech from the Throne the provincial government made laudable commitments to set BC on an aggressive greenhouse gas emissions reduction path. The 2007 budget, delivered only a week later, made virtually no financial allocations to achieving meaningful reductions.

“2007 has been a development year for BC’s plan to meet its greenhouse gas reduction commitments, and we welcome the significant policies that have been announced in recent months,” said Andrea Reimer, Executive Director at the Wilderness Committee. “However, actions speak louder than words, especially on climate change where scientists have made it clear we urgently need strong action to reduce emissions.”

An exciting legislative agenda is anticipated for the spring session, including concrete actions that will establish BC as a leader in reducing contributions to global warming. However, government’s most powerful tools are fiscal measures that shape our economy over time and set it on course for a low-carbon future.

“Putting a price on carbon is essential to harnessing the innovative potential and entrepreneurial acumen of our economy to drive us towards a low-carbon future, and doing so in the most efficient way possible,” said Peter Ronald, BCSEA Coordinator. “We are particularly excited by the prospect of a well-designed carbon tax for BC in this budget that prices carbon for businesses and individuals fairly and equitably.”

Other measures by which the budget will be assessed include investment in public infrastructure to lower emissions, such as funding for the recently announced Transit Plan, and incentive programs that encourage businesses, municipal governments and individual British Columbians to make bold changes. Evidence of consistency in policy direction across the budget will also be a key indicator: is BC making investments to reduce carbon emissions that are being negated by subsidies to emission-heavy fossil fuel development?

“By legislating emissions reductions targets last December, government effectively mandated a ‘carbon filter’ approach to be applied to all government programs and expenditures,” said Ms. Matthaus. “A true climate budget will have clear measures taking us towards our carbon reduction goals, and phase out measures that take us away from our carbon goals, like subsidies to oil and gas.”

More than ten environmental organizations will have representatives in the February 19 budget lock-up, the largest ever representation by the sector for a budget lock-up.

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Backgrounder attached

Contact:

Lisa Matthaus, Campaigns Director, Sierra Club BC: 250-888-6267 (cell)

Andrea Reimer, Executive Director, Wilderness Committee: 604-719-3920 (cell)

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