Bill mandates annual financial updates for cutting climate pollution
VICTORIA B.C. could soon produce annual reports on how much it is spending to fight climate change, and whether that money is reducing greenhouse gas emissions, under legislation introduced on Wednesday.
Environment Minister George Heyman said the legislation, if passed, would “strengthen B.C.’s ability to respond to the challenges of climate change and implement our CleanBC commitments to strengthen government accountability for taking action.”
“We take climate change seriously, we take a smooth transition to a robust clean economy seriously, and today’s measures ensure that you will be able to judge our progress and our honesty for yourselves,” said Heyman.
He said the new Climate Change Accountability Act would lead to interim greenhouse gas emission targets and sector-specific targets with a goal of keeping B.C. on track to meet its 2030 greenhouse gas-reduction promises, said Heyman. Those interim sector-specific targets will be set after discussions involving those in the sector, Indigenous peoples and the public, said Heyman. The legislation also calls for an independent advisory panel to the minister.
The NDP government’s CleanBC climate change plan lays out a target of a 40 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 2007 levels by 2030, 60 per cent by 2040 and 80 per cent by 2050.
There is currently a two-year delay in B.C.’s public reports on greenhouse gas emissions. The new annual reports will provide more useful up-to-date figures and three-year projections for funding and expected pollution levels, said Heyman.
“What the new legislation will require us to do is to report on the last set of verified data ... as well as being accountable for what we’ve done in terms of CleanBC actions, what money we intend to spend, what outcomes we expect to achieve with those expenditures, as well as any other actions that are part of CleanBC plan to reduce emissions,” said Heyman.
B.C. Green party Leader Andrew Weaver said he was thrilled with the legislation, which is part of the confidence and supply agreement between the Greens and NDP that allows the NDP to govern. Green support means the bill has the votes to pass the house.
Weaver said the current twoyear lag in greenhouse gas data, combined with four years between elections, has created a cycle of blame among political parties for inaction on climate change and then promises for change that fail to materialize.
“‘Trust us,’ is not good, good climate policy,” said Weaver. “The amendments included in this act are a real credibility to this government’s promises and efforts.”
The legislation was also praised by Clean Energy Canada and the David Suzuki Foundation.
B.C.’s most recent greenhouse gas data, released in September, was from 2017.
It showed B.C.’s progress in reducing emissions over the past decade has been virtually wiped out by large increases in carbon pollution.
B.C.’s pollution levels reached almost 64.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2017, an increase of 1.2 per cent from 2016, mainly due to the then-booming residential construction sector, agriculture, manufacturing and transportation.
Carbon pollution is back up to the 2007 level of 64.8 million tonnes. B.C.’s greenhouse gas emissions have now increased in five of the last seven years.