The Province has appointed a 22-member advisory council to provide it with advice for a new climate strategy that will balance economic growth and climate action.
Environment and Climate Change Strategy Minister George Heyman says he plans to introduce legislation next spring that aims to cut greenhouse gasses by 40% below 2007 levels. He says the carbon tax will go up in BC by $5 per tonne to $35 in April of 2018.
“We are introducing the first lift of the carbon tax in April 2018. We will ensure at that time that we are supporting low and moderate income families with a rebate check that will significantly mitigate the impacts of that and will go to 80 percent of BC families.”
Heyman says the government will work with industries, particularly those that are emissions intensive, to ensure there are mechanisms in place that will help them remain competitive and protect their exports as well as protect BC from imports of products from non-regulated jurisdictions.