VICTORIA
– The B.C. Government has reviewed and accepted the recommendations of the
Climate Action Team (CAT) for interim greenhouse gas reduction (GHG) targets,
establishing a GHG reduction target of six per cent below 2007 levels by 2012
and 18 per cent by 2016, Environment Minister Barry Penner announced today.
“The B.C. Government made a
commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one-third by 2020,” said Penner.
“The 2012 and 2016 targets will be used to guide and measure our progress
towards the 2020 target and build on the economic opportunities to develop
clean technology and green innovation in British
Columbia.”
In November 2007, the government put into law British Columbia’s
target of reducing GHG emissions by at least 33 per cent below 2007 levels by
2020 and 80 per cent by 2050 with the passing of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction
Targets Act. The Act also requires that realistic, economically viable interim
targets for 2012 and 2016 be set by the end of 2008. The government
established the Climate Action Team (CAT) to recommend the interim targets.
The final CAT report was released for public comment form
August 6 through October 6, 2008. After extensive feedback from industry and
independent economic modelling to ensure the targets are achievable, the
government accepted the recommendations and implemented the following:
·
2012 – six per cent below 2007 levels. This
target falls in the middle of the range recommended by the CAT and was achieved
in 90 per cent of the model simulations.
·
2016 – 18 per cent below 2007 levels. This
target is at the upper end of the range recommended by the CAT and was achieved
in 95 per cent of the model simulations.
The Climate Action Plan, released in June, outlines initiatives that
will take British Columbia
approximately 73 per cent of the way to the 2020 target. The government is
reviewing additional strategies put forward by the CAT in areas such as
emissions pricing, transportation, buildings, agriculture, forestry, and
energy, to fill the remaining gap.
“I was honoured to chair a team of world-leading climate scientists and
business and environmental leaders who came together to offer advice to the
Cabinet Committee on Climate Action,” said CAT
chairperson Cheryl Slusarchuk. “The 2012 and 2016 targets chart a
path of success to 2020 and establish a record of responsibility to future
generations.”
The 2012 and 2016 targets will be legally
mandated, through regulation, by the end of 2008.
Climate
Action Team Members include:
- Cheryl
Slusarchuk, Climate Action Team chair and president of the Premier's
Technology Council (Vancouver)
- Shawn Atleo, BC Regional Chief for
Assembly of First Nations (West
Vancouver)
- Donna
Barnett, mayor, District of 100 Mile House
- Lyn
Brown, vice-president, Catalyst Paper (Richmond)
- Jeff
Burghardt, president, Prince Rupert Grain Ltd. (Prince Rupert)
- Teresa
Coady, architect, Bunting Coady Architects (Vancouver)
- Naomi
Devine, Common Energy, (Victoria)
- Dr.
David Keith, Earth Sciences, University
of Calgary (Calgary)
- Randy
McLeod, president, BP CanadaEnergy Co. (Calgary)
- Dr.
John Robinson, Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability,
UBC (Vancouver)
- Peter
Robinson, CEO, Mountain Equipment and future CEO, David Suzuki Foundation,
beginning January 2008 (Vancouver)
- Ian
Tostenson, president, BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association
(Vancouver)
- Mossadiq Umedaly, chairman, Xantrex
Technology Inc. (Vancouver)
- Joe
Van Belleghem, partner, Three Point Properties (Victoria)
- John
Walker, president/CEO, FortisBC (Kelowna)
- Dr.
Andrew Weaver, School
of Earth and Ocean
Sciences UVic (Victoria)
Ex-Officio Members include:
- Dr.
Ken Denman, Canadian
Center for Climate
Modelling and Analysis, UVic (Victoria)
- Dr.
Greg Flato, Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis, UVic
(Victoria)
- Dr.
John Fyfe, Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis, UVic
(Victoria)
- Dr.
Werner Kurz, Pacific Forestry Center
(Victoria)
- Dr. Terry
Prowse, Department of Geography, UVic (Victoria)
- Dr.
Frederick Wrona, Department of Geography, UVic (Victoria)
Special Advisor:
- Dr.
Mark Jaccard, School
of Resource &
Environmental Management, SFU (Vancouver)
To view the independent economic modeling report, the Climate Action
Team report and for more information about the Climate Action Plan, please
visit: www.LiveSmartBC.ca
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