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Carbon tax funds return to region
A total of $196,340 in Climate Action Revenue Incentive Program (CARIP) funding is returning to the East Kootenay, the provincial government announced this morning.
Communities (170) throughout British Columbia will share over $6.4 million in grants from CARIP, Community, Sport and Cultural Development Minister Peter Fassbender announced.
CARIP is a conditional grant program that provides funding to B.C. local governments that signed the Climate Action Charter and commit to report publicly on their progress toward meeting their climate action goals. Local governments receive a CARIP grant equivalent to the full amount of direct carbon tax they pay in a year.
Since 2008, CARIP has granted over $39 million to B.C. local governments to help support communities in their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and work toward Climate Action Charter goals.
Regional local governments getting funding: Village of Canal Flats $2,529; City of Cranbrook $59,190; Town of Creston $9,744; Regional District of East Kootenay East Kootenay $10,933; District of Elkford $21,271; City of Fernie $31,447; Town of Golden $9,802; District of Invermere $5,852; City of Kimberley $23,623; Village of Radium Hot Springs $967; District of Sparwood $20,982.
“The Climate Action Revenue Incentive Program continues to reward local governments for supporting British Columbia’s Climate Action Charter and helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Thank you to all the participants in this successful program, as well as all the local governments that made submissions to the Climate Leadership Plan,” Fassbender said.
“Local governments can help achieve B.C.’s GHG emission reduction targets through their important role in land use planning, transportation, waste management and infrastructure development. Local governments have been key partners in the Province’s success in lowering greenhouse gas emissions while continuing to grow our economy. We will continue to work closely with communities throughout the province to build strong partnerships for climate collaboration,” added Environment Minister Mary Polak.
Over 40% of all greenhouse gas emissions in British Columbia are under the influence of local governments.
The province and Union of B.C. Municipalities established the voluntary B.C. Climate Action Charter in 2007, signed by 96% of local governments, which commits them to be carbon neutral in their corporate operations, to measure their community-wide greenhouse gas emissions and to create complete, compact and energy efficient communities.
The B.C. government returns 100% of carbon tax dollars to reporting local governments that have signed the charter.
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