The Feds’ $15-billion Climate Change Plan

We recently posted about Bill C-12, the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act. On December 11, 2020, the federal government announced a plan that help build a foundation to achieving this goal.

The $15-billion plan entitled “A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy” aims to meet Canada’s climate change commitments and includes consistent increases to its carbon tax over the next 10 years.

The price of carbon will continue to increase each year, and according to the government’s new plan, by 2030, carbon is set to cost $170 per tonne. The public will notice the effects of this increase at the gas pump, as increased carbon prices will raise the price of gas by about twenty cents per litre.

Carbon pricing is not the only prominent feature of the government’s new plan. There is also an emphasis on investing in sustainable infrastructure such as energy-efficient homes and buildings, green community buildings, home retrofits, and commercial and large-scale building retrofits.

Clean energy was not overlooked in this plan. The federal government’s plan promotes the use and development of clean energy, by investing billions of dollars into renewable energy and grid modernization projects, hydroelectric power, and transitioning remote Indigenous communities away from diesel fuel.

With the rise of gas prices over the next 10 years, the government focused part of its plan on incentivizing and investing in clean transportation. The plan hopes to grow public transit systems across the nation and implement new electric systems where possible. The government will continue supporting zero-emission vehicle programs and increasing electric vehicle charging stations. As well, the government will support the increased production and use of low-carbon fuels.

The federal government’s Healthy Environment and Healthy Economy plan is specifically intended to address, and exceed, Canada’s 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target, but in light of the recently introduced Bill C-12, the broad measures within this plan also support Canada’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

This post was co-authored by Richard Bereti and Nicola Virk. Want more useful updates on recent environmental legislation? Contact Richard Bereti at rbereti@harpergrey.com or anyone else from our team listed on the Authors page.

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