The B.C. government is moving forward with its greenhouse gas reduction program, with new rules for carbon dioxide-intensive parts of the economy and mandatory reporting for the government’s own operations.
Environment Minister George Heyman introduced amendments Wednesday to impose the changes.
“The amendments mandate an interim greenhouse gas emission reduction target, and sector-specific reduction targets to help keep B.C. on track to our 2030 legislated greenhouse gas reduction target,” Heyman told the legislature. “The amendments increase accountability by requiring an annual report on progress to targets, plans to manage climate change risks and expenditures to support both.”
Target sectors outlined by the previous B.C. Liberal government are to be implemented over the next year and a half, Heyman said.
Environment Min @GeorgeHeyman explains he’s building on previous government’s #climate work #Bcleg #bcpoli pic.twitter.com/j8Z2G9BHzs
— Tom Fletcher (@tomfletcherbc) October 30, 2019
“The former climate leadership team in 2015 suggested that the broad sectors were transportation, buildings and industry, but we’ve committed to everyone we’re going to consult very broadly about what they should be and how they should be set,” Heyman said.
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B.C. Green Party leader Andrew Weaver praised the latest step to implement B.C.’s climate action strategy, after decades of federal and international targets that resulted in little action.
“Campaign trail promises to address climate change are meaningless without concrete policy action to bring those promises to fruition,” Weaver said.
@tomfletcherbc
tfletcher@blackpress.ca
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