The NDP government revealed a slew of transportation, building and jobs measures on Wednesday as part of its wide-scale effort to reduce greenhouse gases by 60 per cent by 2040.
Dubbed CleanBC, the plan lays out how the province will transition from fossil fuels to a B次元官网网址渓ow-carbon economy,B次元官网网址� though the public will have to wait on how much it will cost.
B次元官网网址淭he challenges of climate change are clearly global,B次元官网网址� Premier John Horgan told a packed room at Vancouver Public LibraryB次元官网网址檚 central branch.
B次元官网网址淏ut the impact is being observed and felt right hereB次元官网网址� in our forests, in our rural communities where we are facing floods and droughts within months of each other.B次元官网网址�
The plan centres on cutting fossil fuel use by 20 per cent and boosting green energy use by 60 per cent by 2050.
Horgan said the move will require an additional 4,000 gigawatt hours of electricity, or an eight-per-cent increase, over current BC Hydro projections. Currently, the province gets two-thirds of its energy from fossil fuels.
That will put the province on track to meet CanadaB次元官网网址檚 commitment to keep global average temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2050, or well below two per cent above pre-industrial levels.
Building on an earlier promise that every car sold in B.C. will be zero-emission by 2040, Horgan said the government will bring down the price of electric vehicles and work with private industry to build more charging stations and train more mechanics to work on them.
The provinceB次元官网网址檚 goals will require a 200-per-cent increase in electric car sales by 2030.
The government also promised to lower carbon intensity in fuels by 20 per cent by 2030 and to enhance tailpipe emission standards for cars sold after 2025.
It will also make B.C.B次元官网网址檚 Building Code more efficient and require buildings to get 15 per cent of their energy from renewable natural gas.
READ MORE:
Meanwhile, industry will have to make sure 15 per cent of its gas usage is from renewable sources by 2030. Currently, large-scale industry pays about one-third of the carbon tax collected by the province. The government will create a fund from the proceeds to be funnelled back into green incentives.
The plan also targets waste, aiming for 95 per cent of B.C. communities to divert garbage from the landfill, as well as capture and reuse 75 per cent of landfill gas by 2030.
B次元官网网址楽ign of hopeB次元官网网址�
Environmentalists praised the requirement for the government to project and report on pollution cuts every year, as well as the creation of an independent oversight group.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 taken almost a year, but the Green-supported NDP government has started to head in the right direction,B次元官网网址� said the Wilderness CommitteeB次元官网网址檚 Peter McCartney. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 still much work to do, but this plan is a good start.B次元官网网址�
The B.C. director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, however, slammed the NDP for reaching high without providing details.
B次元官网网址淚 really think this this would be better if they rolled this out in shorter pieces, always with costing attached,B次元官网网址� Kris Sims said. B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 care who you vote for, but you need to know how much this is going to cost you.B次元官网网址�
Instead of regulating natural gas use and car emissions, she said the province should scrap the carbon tax and let the market innovate its way to a climate change solution.
What will it cost?
Horgan repeatedly deflected questions from reporters on how much the plan would cost to Finance Minister Carol James and stuck to talking points.
He did say heB次元官网网址檇 look to Ottawa for help, as well as speak with other premiers at the First MinistersB次元官网网址� meeting in Montreal on Friday.
Said Environment and Climate Change Strategy Minister George Heyman: B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e been through this with the finance minister and the details will be in the budget in the spring. Our plan will be fully funded.B次元官网网址�
Like us on and follow us on
