FREDERICTON — The Conservation Council of New Brunswick is pleased to see significant commitments to addressing climate change in the 2019 Speech from the Throne, including:
- Establishing a carbon pricing system and introducing legislation seeking to achieve fairness for New Brunswickers in relation to our neighbours in the Atlantic Provinces.
- Doing as much as it can to combat climate change. Implementing New Brunswick’s Climate Change Action Plan will help to ensure that the necessary actions are taken to build resilience in our communities along with infrastructure. It will also support economic growth and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Supporting local governments as they create adaptation plans and put those plans into motion to help protect their communities from the effects of climate change.
- Examining how future risks can be mitigated and will develop and release a long-term plan to better address the impact of flooding and shoreline erosion.
- Introducing amendments to the Climate Change Act to allow for the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from New Brunswick’s large emitters.
Dr. Louise Comeau, Director of the Conservation Council’s Climate Change and Energy Solutions Program, issued the following statement:
“We look forward to working with the New Brunswick Government to develop a carbon-pricing plan that is effective in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including ensuring revenue supports a combination of program investments to implement the province’s Climate Action Plan.
Incentives help households, business, and industry reduce energy consumption and waste,” says Comeau. “Our research shows that 60 per cent of New Brunswickers prefer carbon pricing revenue be used to fund rebates (11 per cent), incentives (28 per cent) or a combination of rebates, incentives and tax cuts (21 per cent).”
Comeau also called on the government to prioritize infrastructure investments to reduce flood and extreme weather-related risk, to cut greenhouse gas emissions, and reform the electricity system to advance investments in clean electricity sources and storage technologies to take advantage of falling prices.
“New Brunswick needs an affordable, clean and reliable electricity system based on efficiency and renewable energy technologies.”
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For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Jon MacNeill, Conservation Council of New Brunswick: 458-8747 | 238-3539 | jon.macneill@conservationcouncil.ca
