Will a carbon tax affect driving habits in BC?

In the news, it seems that one of the hot topics right now is whether or not Canada should consider a nationwide carbon tax.

In BC, the provincial government is past consideration and has moved to implementation. That said, the provincial carbon tax is still a hot topic.

Wanting to join the discussion, I went to Vancouver and asked people for their thoughts on the tax – specifically, whether it would have the intended effect of encouraging fuel efficient driving. (If you’re reading this, you probably know that we’re trying to do the same thing with this blog.)

I brought along a camera and you can view some of the discussions here or on YouTube. Thanks to everyone who participated, and to Kevin from our Calgary office who did the filming. As a quick disclaimer, I apologize to all the BC folks from outside of Vancouver – it would also have been interesting to visit your community and hear what you have to say. So if you have any thoughts on this issue, please share them.

Looking ahead, we’ve got another short video coming in the next week or so. It will focus on the “what”, “when” and “how much” of the tax so that you’re a little more informed by the time the BC carbon tax is implemented on July 1, 2008.

Comments

[Claude Chepil]

I am aware of the tax, in general it is good, may help to preserve the usage and help prevent the waste of fuel. The aspect that I am against is the rebate checks being mailed out to every citizen in BC. This money would be better spent in the development of vehicles that use less fuel or other types of energy to move a vehicle along.

[Yuri Lipkov]

The new B.C. carbon tax is a huge government money grab at the time when the consumers and the economy are already severely stressed by the rising energy costs. This is sure to increase the price of just about everything in the province. The rebate checks will serve to subsidize those able to (or live without a car at the expense of most for whom such a lifestyle is not an option. Given the government's poor track record of using the added income wisely, I have grave doubts that the tax will have a noticeable impact on the carbon footprint of the province beyond the reduction that is already happening thanks to the market forces and to the scientific/industrial research.