Trudeau gov’t doesn’t need carbon tax to reduce emissions, testifies official
Environment Commissioner Jerry DeMarco confirmed that meeting emissions targets without a carbon tax is "theoretically possible," pointing to the United States — which lacks a carbon levy — outperforming Canada in emission reductions.
The Environment Department has been faulted time again for not explaining how carbon taxes reduce emissions. Now, Canada’s top bureaucrat for the environment admits the levy isn’t needed.
“Is it possible to meet emissions targets without a carbon tax?” asked Conservative MP Dan Mazier, a member of the House of Commons Environment Committee. “Yes, it is theoretically possible,” replied Jerry DeMarco, the Environment Commissioner.
Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development Jerry DeMarco confirms that Canada not on track to meet its emissions targets and is actually able to meet it’s emissions goals without the carbon tax. pic.twitter.com/54aqfyveLI
— True North (@TrueNorthCentre) November 25, 2024
“Commissioner, did the Environment Department ever indicate to your office that the government would not meet the 2030 emissions target, with existing measures?” asked Mazier. “Yes … their calculations are on track for 36%, and the target is 40 to 45%,” he replied.
“So, the Environment Department was aware they would not meet their emissions target,” asked Mazier. “Yes,” replied DeMarco.
“So, why is Minister Guilbeault telling Canadians the opposite?” the MP asked. “You’d have to ask him,” the commissioner said.
Minister Guilbeault gets triggered when asked why carbon taxes aren't preventing natural disasters. He attacks Conservatives for having a "fundamental disbelief" in science, and tells reporter Andrew Lawton he has "total ignorance" of climate change.https://t.co/sPMCsp6tLT pic.twitter.com/1NW6fHRhKN
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) September 8, 2023
MP Mazier then questioned the efficacy of a carbon tax in reducing emissions, noting the United States is outperforming Canada without a levy.
“If the will is there, and other measures are used, is it possible for Canada to meet its emissions targets without a carbon tax?” he posed to DeMarco, who replied: “If the carbon levy were to be removed, it would need to be replaced by something equally effective, plus something additional.
Among the other measures suggested by the commissioner include added regulations and taxpayer subsidies to bridge the 4% shortfall.
“Solutions exist,” DeMarco previously said, “such as renewing the government’s fleet with zero-emission vehicles or implementing effective fiscal and regulatory measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” But he says that solutions are implemented “much too slowly.”
“Canada is the only G7 country that has not achieved any emission reduction since 1990,” he told the Senate energy committee. “That needs to change now.”
Climate crook/Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault tells a rare truth: carbon taxes are designed to "incentivize new behaviours." He then defends the Liberals' selective carbon tax relief granted to Atlantic Canada.https://t.co/pmQJNq9XF2 pic.twitter.com/VZSwytNEqF
— Rebel News Canada (@RebelNews_CA) March 11, 2024
Focus group participants believe the Trudeau government must clarify how the carbon tax reduces emissions, and convey whether it has been successful thus far in achieving its goals, reported Blacklock’s.
Many “expressed the view that carbon pricing would have little effect on changing the emitting behaviour of Canadians,” reads the report, Continuous Qualitative Data Collection Of Canadians’ Views.
A Department of Environment manager previously said the carbon tax had minimal impact in reducing emissions, which have risen every year since the 2020 pandemic lockdowns and travel bans, with only modest reductions in 2023.
“How many megatonnes of emissions have been directly reduced from your carbon tax since it was introduced?” asked MP Mazier at a separate committee hearing. Minister Steven Guilbeault recited the carbon tax accounts for a third of emission reductions.
“In 2018, five megatonnes,” he said. “2019, fourteen megatonnes. 2020, seventeen megatonnes. 2021, eighteen megatonnes. 2022, nineteen megatonnes.” That works out to a 1% reduction, covered by the carbon tax.
Trudeau suggests that fighting climate change is more important for struggling Canadians than paying rent or feeding their children.
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) November 18, 2024
The PM says we can't put climate change as a "slightly lower priority." https://t.co/vD78U4ZuZQ pic.twitter.com/eoUyE9EPg0
However, a 2023 report from the Commissioner depicted federal climate programs as guesswork, and said the Trudeau government has never met an emissions target.
“We continue to work to refine our reporting,” walked back Guilbeault during testimony at the Commons environment committee. “In the meantime, as they say, the proof is in the pudding,” he added.
As late as October 10, Minister Guilbeault claimed emissions have declined and that taxpayers benefited from rebates. Parliament in 2019 passed the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act to reduce emissions by taxing fuels.
The tax is currently worth 12¢ per litre of propane, 15¢ per cubic metre of natural gas, 18¢ per litre of gasoline, 20¢ per litre of aviation fuel and 25¢ per litre of heating oil. A 23% increase is due next April 1.
Alex Dhaliwal
Calgary Based Journalist
Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.
COMMENTS
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Bruce Atchison commented 2024-11-27 21:01:22 -0500The world needs MORE carbon dioxide, not less. It’s plant food that helps our crops grow. The world must stop this green mania. It’s anti-human nonsense that only makes our lives harder. Remember how the world was before oil and natural gas?
