Government of Canada increases carbon tax to meet 2030 climate goal

The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, has presented on Friday the update of the Ottawa climate change plan, which includes a tripling of the carbon tax and an expenditure of more than 15,000 million Canadian dollars (about 9,600 million euros) to achieve the objectives of reducing greenhouse gas emissions of the country by 2030.

To achieve the goals of reducing emissions by 40 per cent, the price of carbon will rise to 170 Canadian dollars (about 110 euros) per metric ton by 2030. However, this measure has not fit well in all sectors, and is being challenged in court by an oil company.

In fact, this new climate plan comes after five contentious years in which the Government has been engaged in battles with the provinces over measures to reduce emissions, as reported by the local newspaper ‘The Globe and Mail’.

Thus, Trudeau’s plan will only be viable if the Canadian Supreme Court rules in favor of the constitutionality of the federal carbon tax.

“We know that Canadians understand that they can no longer pollute freely anywhere in the country,” the leader said Friday at a press conference. The decision has been welcomed by environmental and environmental groups, although it has been criticized by the conservative opposition.

The Trudeau administration’s announcement comes a day before the United Nations climate conference is being held this weekend.

Source: Europe Press