Climate Change

Reducing Greenhouse Gases in B.C. - Transportation Initiatives

The transportation sector is responsible for 36 per cent of B.C.’s total greenhouse gas emissions. In 2005, light duty vehicles were responsible for about two-fifths of all B.C.’s transportation emissions – about 9.5 million tonnes annually. Opportunities for reducing emissions from the transportation sector include reducing the distance driven, improving fuel economy of vehicles and reducing the carbon content of fuel.

The Province is taking significant steps to promote public transit, alternative transportation and compact communities, including:

a $14-billion public transit plan including new fleets, green technology, new lines and innovative services like RapidBus BC.;

amendments to the Local Government Act that will drive more sustainable, compact communities (Local Government (Green Communities) Statutes Amendment Act);

a federal-provincial partnership investing $89 million in hydrogen-fueling stations and the world’s first fleet of 20 fuel-cell buses;

a $500,000 investment in the Green Fleets British Columbia partnership; and

expansion of the Scrap-It Program, which provides incentives to help take older, more polluting vehicles off the road.

The province is also taking steps to require cleaner vehicles and fuels:

Legislation has been introduced to require the phasing in of California tailpipe-emission standards under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction (Vehicle Emissions Standards) Act.

Intentions Paper: Proposed Vehicle Emissions Standards Regulation

In addition, B.C. will adopt California ’s low-carbon fuel-content standards, through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction (Renewable and Low Carbon Fuel Requirements) Act. For more information, see the news release.