FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Budget 2008 Meets Key Tests on Climate Commitments

Major BC environmental groups today welcomed the 2008 budget that will put BC firmly on the path to achieve bold commitments set out in the 2007 Throne Speech.

Of the key areas in which environmentalists were looking for clear action (see below), three were given strong grades. The remaining climate-related area--cross-budget consistency-- remains a concern, with ongoing subsidies to the carbon-emitting oil and gas sector and massive capital investments in new highways. Also of concern is the lack of new funds for biodiversity preservation and management.

Carbon Pricing – Grade: A
The carbon tax is designed to make BC a North American leader in using carbon pricing to encourage innovation, climate-friendly behaviour change and a transition to a low-carbon economy. Government chose to make the tax fully revenue-neutral, recycling the revenues through lump sum payments and tax breaks for individuals, with a focus on low-income families and tax breaks to businesses.

Public Infrastructure Investments- Grade: A
To help kick-start the $14 billion Provincial Transit Plan, scheduled to be completed by 2020, $370 million was allocated over a four year period, including $93 million over the next year. Also included was money for energy retrofits on public buildings and green port initiatives.

Incentives For Citizens and Businesses – Grade: A
The budget contains significant incentives to help British Columbians make changes to decrease their carbon emissions, including energy retrofit funding and tax exemptions for energy efficient vehicles and appliances. It also provides BC businesses with strong encouragement to invest in innovation to be leaders in the low-carbon economy of the future.

Cross-Budget Consistency – Grade: F
There is a major disconnect between BC’s climate plan and continued financial support for carbon-intensive resource industries. The highly profitable fossil fuel industry emits approximately 20% of BC’s GHG emissions. Yet this budget provides large subsidies to expand carbon-intensive activities that could undermine BC’s efforts to be a world leader on tackling global warming. Steps in the wrong direction include a 24% increase in oil and gas subsidies in 08/09—to $327 million –as well as continued funding and promotion of coastal oil and gas drilling, and a $621 million larger allocation for highway expansion than for transit.

Biodiversity – Grade: D
There are almost no new monies earmarked for the protection of species at risk and their critical habitat. Although there is now political direction to establish a marine protected areas system for the Pacific coast, there are no new monies to achieve this.

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BC Sustainable Energy Association – Tom Hackney (250-744-2720)
Better Environmentally Sound Transportation – Kris Etches
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – Chloe O’Loughlin (604-512-0428)
Dogwood Initiative – Will Horter (250-418-1672)
Georgia Strait Alliance – Christianne Wilhelmson (604-862-7579)
Living Oceans Society – Oonagh O’Connor (250-230-6580)
Pembina Institute - Matt Horne (778-235-1476)
Sierra Club BC – Lisa Matthaus (250-888-6267)
West Coast Environmental Law – Greg Gowe (604-220-2520)
Wilderness Committee – Andrea Reimer (604-719-3920)

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