Recommendations to Strengthen B.C.'s Carbon Tax
The Pembina Institute is urging the British Columbia government to strengthen its carbon tax in the March 2010 budget by recommending key areas where the tax can be improved. While British Columbia has shown leadership by implementing North America's most ambitious carbon tax, it's important to continue to strengthen the tax so it is as fair and effective as possible.
The recommendations include:
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Broaden the carbon tax to cover 80% of B.C.'s greenhouse gas emissions.
- Continue to increase protection for low-income families.
- Increase carbon tax above $30 per tonne after 2012.
- Invest a portion of carbon tax revenues in projects that will reduce emissions.
Read the media release / report.
Leading the Way to Greener Buildings
Local governments in British Columbia are working together to design and implement new green building policies. Participating local governments include Campbell River, Dawson Creek, Delta, Regional District of Nanaimo, City of North Vancouver, Prince George, Smithers, Terrace, West Vancouver, and Whistler.
The Municipal Green Building Leaders project will focus on three innovative green building regulations:
- Energy performance standards for homes and buildings that are for sale or undergoing major renovations;
- Renewable energy requirements for new homes and buildings; and
- Higher energy performance standards for new homes and buildings.
The project is an excellent opportunity for local governments that want to be leaders on climate change solutions. Participants will go beyond current provincial regulation, reducing their own greenhouse gas emissions and setting the stage for province-wide change. For more information about the Green Building Leaders project, visit www.greenbuildingleaders.ca.
Opening the Door for Oil Sands Expansion
The proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway project would result in a 30% increase in average daily oil sands output, according to a new report by the Pembina Institute. However, the environmental assessment of the project will ignore impacts associated with increased oil sands production, such as increased greenhouse gas emissions, according to the final Terms of Reference.
The proposed project would transport petroleum products from the Alberta oil sands to the British Columbia coast via a 1,200-kilometre pipeline. The Pembina Institute report, Opening the Door for Oil Sands Expansion: The Hidden Environmental Impacts of the Enbridge Gateway Pipeline, found that the new pipeline capacity would result in the production of an additional 367,500 barrels of oil each day.
The oil sands are already Canada's fastest growing source of greenhouse gas pollution. Oil sands production related to the Enbridge pipeline would produce an estimated 6.5 megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year, equivalent to putting another 1.6 million cars on the road.
Read the fact sheet / report / media release.
Oil and Salmon Don't Mix 
A new report commissioned by the Pembina Institute has found that the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines pose serious risks to salmon in northern British Columbia. If the project proceeds, more than 700,000 barrels of petroleum products would cross the rivers, mountains and valleys of northern British Columbia each day.
The new report, Pipelines and Salmon in Northern British Columbia: Potential Impacts, found that the greatest threat to salmon comes from the potential for a pipeline leak or rupture. "Experience suggests it is not a question of whether or not a pipeline failure will happen," says Karen Campbell, Staff Counsel with the Pembina Institute. "It is a question of when and where — and how badly it will impact the environment."
The Pembina Institute has called for a public inquiry to fully examine the potential impacts of the proposed Enbridge oil sands pipelines.
Read the media release / fact sheet / report / op-ed.
West Moberly First Nations: Walking the Talk
The West Moberly First Nations — a community whose backyard is criss-crossed by conventional energy development — is leading the way on green energy 
solutions. Last year, West Moberly completed a Community Energy Plan outlining how the community could reduce its energy use through conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy opportunities.
West Moberly was one of the first First Nations communities in British Columbia to participate in the Community Action on Energy and Emissions program, and the first to be awarded the honour of "Solar Community" by SolarBC. To learn more read the fact sheet "West Moberly First Nations: Walking the Talk."
West Moberly works in partnership with the Pembina Institute's Sustainable Communities Group. The Sustainable Communities Group helps municipalities and First Nations communities identify and achieve sustainability goals. For more information, visit the group's British Columbia web page or its national website.
