Incentives better than increasing carbon tax

Re: “End the freeze on carbon tax,” editorial, Aug. 23. The criticism of the B.C. government’s decision not to increase the carbon tax is perplexing. Clearly, an increase would have a negative financial implication on everyone in B.C. It is unfair and not right to apply punitive measures that will have a notable effect on people who are struggling to make ends meet each month without mechanisms to provide assistance.

For many, there are few opportunities to reduce their carbon consumption. Those of us who have been making a concerted effort to live in an environmentally responsible manner for years would ask just what are we supposed to do? Sure, I could buy an electric vehicle, upgrade my heating system, replace all my appliances with greater energy efficiency, but the capital costs of doing so well ahead of their expected replacement cycles is an even greater burden.

Instead of applying an additional tax, the focus should be on giving consumers incentives to change their consumption voluntarily. Rebates go a long way to achieving this, making the capital costs of upgrades less onerous. The B.C. government and the utilities have been active with this sporadically over the years.

There is need for these rebates to be extended and strengthened if B.C.’s carbon emissions goals are to be reached. Only by doing this could an additional tax be palatable, alongside methods to mitigate the financial hardships that the less-affluent already experience. Chris Drake Victoria