BC introduces legally binging emission tagets, with no details on how to achieve them

This new legislation is only one of many steps needed to tackle climate change.

The B.C. government has introduced aggressive legislation that it hopes will help the province cut greenhouse gas emissions 33 per cent below current levels by 2020.

Premier Gordon Campbell announced the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets Act on Tuesday, saying the legislation includes the most aggressive pollution reduction targets in North America.

“This act puts into law the most aggressive greenhouse gas reduction targets in North America and makes our carbon neutral government commitment legally binding,” Campbell said in a press release.

While this new legislation is a good step (I especially like the idea of frequent interim targets), the proposed legislation has little in the way of details as to how the BC government will achieve the cuts it has promised.

Instead Premier Campbell announced the “climate action team” that will advise government on effective policies to reduce greenhouse gases. This is a good step, but it is impossible to judge the BC governments plans until actual details on how the emissions cuts will be achieved emerge, which will hopefully include an effective carbon tax.