Introduction
The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets Act (GGRTA) was given Royal Assent on November 29, 2007 and brought into force on January 1, 2008. This piece of legislation is a major step forward in the fight against global warming. It legislates B.C.’s aggressive reduction targets for greenhouse gas emissions, and the government’s commitment to a carbon-neutral public sector by 2010.
Making these commitments legally binding marks a turning point in the province’s efforts to confront global warming and protect the environment for generations to come. Regulations supporting this act are under development.
The act puts into law British Columbia’s target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by at least 33 per cent below 2007 levels by 2020. It also includes the long-term target of an 80 per cent reduction below 2007 levels by 2050.
In the interim, realistic and economically viable targets will be set for 2012 and 2016 by the end of 2008. To ensure public accountability and transparency, the government is required to make public a report every two years outlining the progress made towards reaching the emissions-reduction targets.
The GGRTA requires the public sector to become carbon neutral by 2010 and to make a public report available annually that details action taken towards carbon neutrality. The provincial government (including individual ministries and agencies), schools, colleges, universities, health authorities and Crown corporations are all included in this commitment.
As part of GGRTA’s carbon-neutral requirements, public sector organizations will be required to report on their emissions levels, the actions they have taken to reduce these levels, and their plans for continuing to minimize emissions. The first course of action will be to reduce emissions and the second to offset the remainder.
The carbon-neutral requirements will apply starting in 2008, with respect to GHGs produced by government business travel by the Legislative Assembly and by provincial government ministries and agencies. Travel emissions in the last three months of 2007 will also be included, as announced by the Premier at the UBCM convention.
In 2010, the requirements will be expanded to apply to all emissions from government operations, as well as the operations of schools, colleges, universities, health authorities, Crown corporations and other public sector organizations.
Regulations
The emission offsets regulations will be the second phase of regulations to be
developed in accordance with authority provided by the GGRTA. The first phase, for which work is in progress, concerns defining the public sector organizations subject to the GGRTA and the sources of GHG emissions public sector organizations will be responsible for, i.e. that they will need to track and report on as the first step in achieving compliance with the carbon-neutral public sector requirements of the act. It is anticipated that these regulations will come out this summer.
|
