Whereas the Premier announced on September 12 that the Province would remove the individual portion of the carbon tax if given the opportunity; And whereas this poses a threat to the effectiveness of the Provinces climate strategy as an essential tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition the province to a low-carbon economy; And whereas local governments face significant financial challenges in addressing the costs of transportation, increasing energy efficiency in homes, adapting new and existing infrastructure and adapting to the impacts of climate change from wildfires, floods, and shifting ecosystems: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the Province of British Columbia to immediately engage with local government to develop a modernized carbon pricing framework; And be it further resolved that UBCM request a significant portion of carbon pricing revenue be directed to local governments to support climate action initiatives such as transit, energy efficiency programs for homes, and adaptation of critical infrastructure, thereby directly helping local communities and their residents prepare for the impacts of catastrophic climate change.
Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions The Province has removed the consumer carbon tax in BC and there is considerable work taking place to determine how the Province moves forward. The Ministry of Finance is currently focused on the issue of affordability for consumers and is also moving forward with reviewing programs, including those that were supported by carbon tax revenue. Additionally, the 2025 Cooperation and Responsible Government Accord commits to completing a review CleanBC in 2025. Large industrial emitters will continue to pay carbon tax under the Output-Based Pricing System which is not affected by the removal of the carbon tax. Local climate action in BC is funded through a variety of sources. For example, the Local Government Climate Action Program continues to operate and is funding climate action investments across local governments and Modern Treaty Nations. The Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness continues to disburse funds through the Disaster, Resilience and Innovation Fund for Indigenous communities and local governments to enhance their resilience to climate events. The CleanBC Better Homes and Better Buildings programs provide targeted incentives to a range of building types, including market and non-market housing, multi-unit residential buildings, and Indigenous- and community-owned facilities. Recently, the Province announced 100 million to support as many as 8,300 heat pump rebates for low- and moderate-income households. This includes the planned expansion of the Energy Savings Program to provide rebates for individual suites in multi-unit residential buildings, and participation in BC Hydro and FortisBCs Energy Conservation Affordability Program to provide heat pump rebates to the lowest-income households in British Columbia. The Province is actively engaged in the Electric Vehicle Peer Network, a BC-based group that brings together local governments, First Nations, BC Hydro, and the Community Energy Association to share information and accelerate the transition to electric mobility. The current focus of the group is promoting access to charging infrastructure and supporting the transition of municipal government fleets to electric vehicles.