Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy
NEWS RELEASE
B.C. launches fund to support cleaner industry, reduce emissions
VICTORIA – A new CleanBC industry initiative will reduce emissions and support good jobs for people throughout British Columbia.
“Our government is building a better future for people throughout B.C. by investing in new projects that will reduce emissions and support clean development opportunities for industry,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “We recognize the importance of working together with businesses to reach our CleanBC targets and build a stronger, more innovative economy where people in communities across the province thrive.”
The CleanBC Industry Fund will invest carbon tax revenues of $12.5 million in 16 projects throughout the province. Additional contributions from industry will raise the total fund value to more than $55 million this year.
Provincial funding will support a range of projects throughout B.C., including new electro-coagulation technology at Harmac Pacific’s employee-owned pulp mill in Nanaimo. The project will improve the waste-treatment process and reduce the use of natural gas to power a bio-mass boiler on site.
“The CleanBC Industry Fund is helping Harmac Pacific improve the way we operate our pulp mill by moving away from fossil fuels and reducing our emissions,” said Levi Sampson, president, Harmac Pacific. “The investment from the Province will help us treat mill waste more efficiently using cleaner technology while supporting good local jobs in Nanaimo.”
This year’s initial slate of CleanBC Industry Fund projects is expected to reduce approximately 700,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) over the next decade – roughly the same as taking 250,000 cars off the road for a year. Additional projects will be announced in early 2020 following signing of funding agreements.
To be eligible for funding, CleanBC Industry Fund applicants must have emissions over 10,000 tonnes of CO2e per year and be a reporting facility under the Greenhouse Gas Industrial Reporting and Control Act. Successful projects were chosen based on a competitive process and an evaluation of detailed project plans, business cases and the potential to cost-effectively reduce emissions.
CleanBC is the province’s pathway to a more prosperous, balanced and sustainable future. It was developed in collaboration with the BC Green Party caucus, and supports the commitment in the Confidence and Supply Agreement to implement climate action to meet B.C.’s emission targets.
Quotes:
Michelle Mungall, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources –
“Through CleanBC, we’re working with industry to invest in a cleaner future while creating family-supporting jobs in communities across the province. We’re showing that reducing greenhouse gas emissions is essential to today’s and future business.”
Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development –
“The pulp and paper sector is an important part of a cleaner economy, and our government is working with industry to help foster new opportunities to grow the sector while reducing emissions. The CleanBC Industry Fund is helping support good jobs in the pulp and paper sector and putting us on the path to a cleaner, low-carbon economy.”
Karen Tam Wu, regional director for British Columbia, Pembina Institute –
“The CleanBC Industry Fund is an important opportunity for government and industry to work together to create a cleaner economy. By investing in projects that reduce emissions from industry, we will see significant benefits each year as funds are put into new proposals that will help keep B.C. on the leading edge of innovation.”
Quick Facts:
* Successful CleanBC Industry Fund projects are required to sign funding agreements that define the terms and conditions of the funding.
* Provincial payments are funded through carbon tax revenues paid by industry and will be distributed to successful companies based on construction and implementation milestones to reimburse a portion of eligible project expenses.
* Final payments of 10% to 20% of total provincial funding will be distributed after the proposed reduction in emissions can be demonstrated.
* The CleanBC Industry Fund is part of the CleanBC Program for Industry, which also includes the CleanBC Industrial Incentive Program.
* Altogether, the CleanBC Program for Industry is expected to reduce emissions by 2.5 million tonnes of CO2e per year by 2030.
Learn More:
To learn more about the CleanBC Industry Fund, visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/climate-change/industry/cleanbc-program-for-industry/cleanbc-industry-fund
To learn more about the CleanBC Program for Industry, visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/climate-change/industry/cleanbc-program-for-industry
To learn more about CleanBC, visit: https://cleanbc.gov.bc.ca/
Contact:
Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy
Media Relations
250 953-3834
Environment and Climate Change Strategy, Government Operations