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Media Release/Communiqué
For Immediate Release: February 18, 2008
Media Contacts:
Peter Ronald, Provincial Coordinator, BC Sustainable
Energy Association: 250-213-3335 (cell)
Lisa Matthaus, Campaigns Director, Sierra Club BC: 250-888-6267
(cell)
Andrea Reimer, Executive Director, Wilderness Committee: 604-719-3920
(cell)
Embargoed until 8:00 am Monday, February
18th
BC Budget 2008 -- Climate Promises
Fulfilled?
One Year After Campbell’s Bold
Throne Speech
Vancouver & Victoria, BC – 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.
– 30 –
Backgrounder
attached.
Environmental Spokespeople in the Budget Lock-up:
BC Sustainable Energy Association – Tom Hackney
Better Environmentally Sound Transportation – Kris Etches
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – Chloe O’Loughlin
Dogwood Initiative – Will Horter
Georgia Strait Alliance – Christianne Wilhelmson
Living Oceans Society – Oonagh O’Connor
Sierra Club BC – Lisa Matthaus
West Coast Environmental Law – Greg Gowe
Wilderness Committee – Andrea Reimer
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