Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday that provinces in Canada would have just two years to settle on their own carbon pricing or they would be forced to adopt a nationwide carbon tax. Either way, Canada is set to begin taxing carbon nationwide starting in 2018.
This shouldn’t be an overly difficult task for the nation as several of their largest provinces already have carbon taxes in place.
“Carbon pricing is not a new approach in Canada, but it is an essential one. Provinces have led the way, showing tremendous leadership. British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, representing over 80 percent of the population, have already introduced carbon pricing. But more action is needed; both to expand the application of carbon pricing and to ensure that it plays an increasingly significant role in reducing emissions, while fostering clean growth.”
The carbon tax decision was spurred by the Paris climate agreement in December of 2015 as well as the Vancouver Declaration implemented in March of this year. The investment in this carbon tax is part of Canada’s goal to “become a leader in the global clean growth economy.”
Thankfully Canada is interested in that, as its Southern neighbor is clearly not interested in leading anything when it comes to environmental action.
The statement declared that they would be taking into consideration indigenous and Northern perspectives going forward with their climate plans.
Now that Canada is moving forward with this drastic carbon tax, the United States is looking like the last kid at the birthday party, and all we’re doing is popping the balloons and releasing endangered helium into the atmosphere.
