OTTAWA – In reaction to the federal budget released today, Patrick Bonin, Climate and Energy Campaigner, said: 

“What a bad week for the climate. This budget is just another act of the tragically bad play the Trudeau government is trying to put on as a climate leader; it’s hard to believe Trudeau and company believe in it themselves. Three days after the release of the sobering IPCC report — which warns we have no room for new fossil fuel infrastructure — offering billions in tax credit subsidies to oil and gas companies for carbon capture, utilization and storage projects is simply shameful. 

Unfortunately, this is par for the course for Trudeau. With the purchase of the Trans Mountain pipeline the day after declaring a national climate emergency, and now the approval of Bay du Nord two days after the IPCC report was released, this government is once again failing to match rhetoric with tangible, ambitious action.  

Instead of offering new subsidies to the fossil fuel industry — while claiming it wants to get rid of them — the government should be investing massively in the transition to help affected communities and workers make the transition to local, healthy and sustainable economies.”

The federal government announced an investment tax credit for Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) — despite the letter signed by more than 400 scientists, academics and energy system modellers sent to the Trudeau government asking it not to From 2022 to 2030, the investment credit rates would include a 50% credit for investment in equipment used to capture CO2 in CCUS projects other than direct air capture. According to the government (p. 98), “the proposed refundable tax credit is expected to cost $2.6 billion over five years starting in 2022-23, with an annual cost of about $1.5 billion in 2026-27. Going forward, it is expected that the measure will continue to cost approximately $1.5 billion annually until 2030.”

ENDS

For more information, please contact:

Brandon Wei, Communication Officer, Greenpeace Canada

[email protected]; +1 778-772-6138

Patrick Bonin, Climate and Energy Campaigner, Greenpeace Canada

[email protected], +1 514 594-1221