British Columbia has the best carbon pricing scheme in Canada. Thatโs the conclusion of a national survey and analysis of climate policies compiled by Sustainable Prosperity, a progressive think tank based at the Univeristy of Ottawa.
According to a Globe and Mail report, the authors of the study invested a year speaking with top economic, business and environment leaders across the country before identifying eight key principles of a carbon pricing planโthink tranparency, reach, simplicity, and so on. The group then applied those principals to score Canadaโs existing carbon laws and proposals. B.C.โs carbon tax, introduced a year ago, scored an 87. It fell short in the areas of national reach and long-termย impact.
The group also informally examined the limited cap-and-trade policy that B.C.โs New Democratic Party is presently campaigning on. Sustainable Prosperityโs carbon-pricing director told the Globe that her groupโs โscore card would rate [it] as the weakest policy in Canada.โ With few details of that plan yet available, the group was only able to conduct a back-of-the-envelope analysis. It was enough, though, to suggest that New Democratโs plan would introduce โhuge instability and doubtโ to theย market.
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