Carbon tax review could lead to better future for B.C - Vancouver Sun (Canada)

How amazing! A carbon tax! This article originally appeared in the Vancouver Sun on February 29, 2012.

Carbon tax review could lead to better future for B.CBy Ian Bruce and Matt Horne And Merran Smith, Vancouver Sun February 29, 2012
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Carbon+review+could+lead+better+future/6227607/story.html#ixzz1pAR1tyLH
Imagine a British Columbia with reduced traffic gridlock because public transit service gets better and faster every day. Imagine a B.C. where we spend half as much to heat our homes and buildings. Imagine a B.C. with businesses that compete successfully on a world stage that demands the highest quality. Imagine a B.C. where environ-mental innovation, training and knowledge are at the core of our economy.

The good news is that we can build this better B.C., and the way to do it is within reach.

Although the B.C. budget offered little in the way of a more innovative, greener economy, it did hand British Columbians an opportunity to build that future with the announcement that the B.C. carbon tax will be reviewed.

The review, if done well, could be a game changer for improving the quality of life in our province. To reach that potential, the process must be transparent, rely on credible information, and engage British Columbians from all walks of life.

As a starting point in the review, we need to remember why B.C. implemented the carbon tax in the first place. We know that global warming threatens to devastate our forests, our agriculture and our communities if we don't transform the way we produce and use energy.

Evidence already suggests B.C.'s public institutions, communities and businesses are starting to make changes because of the carbon tax. For example, the University of B.C. is phasing out fossil fuels for heating and instead is pursuing renew-able energy. We also know that these positive examples aren't yet standard practice, so B.C.'s greenhouse gas pollution is still increasing and we're not yet on track to accomplish what we set out to achieve.

A second topic for the review is whether all of the carbon tax revenue needs to be used to reduce other taxes. A strong case can be made for investing some of that revenue in job training and infrastructure projects such as transit. These are the types of investments needed to make our communities more enjoyable and healthier places to live while building a strong and innovative economy.

Lastly, the review process should ensure that B.C.'s carbon tax is fair. Ultimately, support for the carbon tax will continue to increase if families, communities and businesses from all parts of the province have an opportunity, and an expectation, to be part of the solution. .

Sweden, a jurisdiction with a similar size population and economy as B.C., introduced a carbon tax in 1992, and the country's economy has since grown 44 per cent while green-house gas emissions have dropped by nearly 10 per cent. Last year, the World Economic Forum ranked Sweden second in the world on economic competitiveness.

It's not just Sweden jumping on the green bandwagon. Norway, Den-mark, Australia, Switzerland and others all have carbon taxes. The European Union has created incentives for companies to reduce their emissions, and Korea, China, California and Quebec will be starting similar emissions cap programs soon. Furthermore, worldwide investment in clean energy totalled $243 billion in 2010, as many governments recognized the need to act on climate change, make the air cleaner and develop modern energy systems. B.C.'s abundant renewable energy resources, skilled workforce and strong engineering and knowledge sectors put the province in an ideal position to capitalize on this global opportunity.

At last, we have a win-win situation for both the environment and the economy.

With more ideas from British Columbians on what the future could hold for B.C.'s carbon tax, we could make that win-win a reality. Communities could see new investment and jobs, a balanced transportation system, reduced traffic congestion, cleaner air, more green spaces, energy savings, and, best of all, a better quality of life. But only if we demand it. We hope that British Columbians will engage in this conversation in the coming months so that we can all build a better future.

Ian Bruce is with the David Suzuki Foundation;

Matt Horne with the Pembina Institute;

Merran Smith is with Tides Canada.

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Greens view attacks as badge of honour | Adam Bennett | NZ Herald June 7 2011

Article posted by NZ Herald June 7, 2011 (both in print and online), link to online article here.
Cate Blanchett features in a campaign urging Australians to back a carbon tax. Photo / AP

Greens view attacks as badge of honourBy Adam Bennett 5:30 AM Tuesday Jun 7, 2011

Attacks on the Greens' crusade against climate change are "a badge of honour" and put them in the same company as the suffragettes and the anti-slavery movement, says Australian Greens leader Bob Brown.

Senator Brown, who addressed the final day of the New Zealand Greens' annual meeting in Auckland yesterday, is at war with Rupert Murdoch and his media empire over plans to introduce a carbon tax.

The issue is reaching boiling point ahead of a decision expected on July 1.

Australian voters have been urged to "Say Yes" to the tax in an advertising campaign featuring actor Cate Blanchett, and thousands rallied in support of it across the country over the weekend.
But a poll commissioned by Mr Murdoch's News Ltd and published yesterday found just 28 per cent of 500 Australians asked were in favour of it compared with 58 per cent against.

Mr Murdoch fuelled ill-feeling between himself and Senator Brown last year when he warned that "the bloody Greens" were a threat to Australia's economy.

The senator told yesterday's meeting: "Whenever I get a little bit despondent about the attacks, I go and look at what happened to the suffragettes or the people who were going to get rid of slavery, or get children out of the mines.

"In every case those who were living for these huge advances in civilisation were condemned on economic grounds.

"It's a badge of honour to know we're just following in the good company of the past."

Senator Brown said his party's stance on climate change policy was based on advice "from the best economic as well as environmental experts in the country".

He was confident his negotiations with Julia Gillard's Labor Government would be successful.

The Greens - who from next month will hold the balance of power in the Upper House and whose one vote in the Lower House is vital to keeping Labor in government - are negotiating the shape and price of the tax against stiff opposition from the Liberal Party and industry.

Failure to agree on the tax could break Ms Gillard's tenuous hold on the Treasury benches by forcing a snap election.

But while the Greens have a far more ambitious target than Labour for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Senator Brown said yesterday that he accepted "it won't be a Green carbon price" if the tax went ahead.

"It is a compromise; we are responsible about this," he said.

What happens in Australia with regards to a carbon charge has implications for the future of New Zealand's emissions trading scheme (ETS), which is under review.

Prime Minister John Key has said he will not throw the agriculture sector "to the wolves" by forcing it to enter the scheme in 2015 as scheduled if our main trading partners are not taking similar measures.

Senator Brown said the Australian carbon tax was likely to be a "tighter and more targeted" scheme than the ETS and would "challenge New Zealand to look again at the structure of that trading system".

BOB AND JULIA'S CARBON TAX
* Would effectively tax Australia's 1000 largest polluters on their greenhouse gas emissions.
* Much of the money would go to offsetting the impact of higher power prices on households.
* Would not apply to petrol.
* Would transition to a cap-and-trade system after three to five years.

By Adam Bennett Email Adam

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