Pembina Reacts: British Columbia Budget Encourages More Gas Than Green

Matt Horne, Director of British Columbia Energy Solutions for the Pembina Institute, made the following statement in response to the British Columbia budget tabled today:

"Fresh off the Olympics, British Columbians were looking for big strides toward a clean energy economy. But continued carbon tax loopholes combined with oil and gas subsidies amount to a near $700 million lost opportunity in these investments.

"While the budget does include new incentives for energy efficiency and clean energy of about $135 million, more funding is clearly allocated toward carbon intensive fossil fuel developments in the form of carbon tax loopholes, royalty breaks, and oil and gas road infrastructure.

"British Columbia's law requires that we reduce our carbon emissions by 33% by 2020. We still don't have a plan to fully meet that target, so it is important that we continue taking consistent and steady steps toward that goal. This budget doesn't do enough to help British Columbia take those next steps and drive the transition from dirty to clean energy."

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The Pembina Institute is a non-partisan sustainable energy think tank.

For more information, contact:

Matt Horne
Director, British Columbia Energy Solutions Program
The Pembina Institute
Cell: 778-235-1476
matth@pembina.org