B.C. opts not to hike carbon tax in new climate plan, won’t adjust target dates
VANCOUVER — The British Columbia government will maintain a freeze on its carbon tax, rejecting a recommendation from a group of advisers to increase the levy to fight climate change.
The province released its Climate Leadership Plan on Friday, promising to take action on 21 measures to help it meet the target to reduce emissions by 80 per cent of 2007 levels by 2050.
By sticking to the 2050 date, the province has also decided against moving up the target to 2030, as its Climate Leadership Team recommended.
A group of experts, First Nations, and business leaders who were appointed by the government to the Climate Leadership Team made 32 recommendations last fall, including raising the $30-per-tonne carbon tax by $10 annually starting in 2018.