More Jobs, Sustainable Growth, Mixed Economy
A Green economy will thrive by directing investment into infrastructure renewal, building efficiency and conservation throughout our industries and communities. Greens will encourage clean industries and technologies in which there are the potential for creating thousands of new jobs in BC. There are major opportunities in energy conservation, transit expansion, renewable energy generation and retro-fitting homes and buildings.
To support entrepreneurs, we will introduce Green Business, a program to ensure small and mid-size businesses have the tools they need to adopt green business practices and succeed in tomorrow’s green economy. This includes initiatives removing the provincial sales tax from made-in-BC goods, to harmonize the administration of the GST and PST to lower costs, and to provide solid information to new businesses on economic opportunities and resources, among other strategies to support small businesses in recognition that small and mid-sized businesses are BC’s primary job creators.
BC Greens will create green jobs and locally-based, green economies with incentive pricing for the renewable energy sector, investments in green buildings, organic agriculture and local manufacturing while shifting taxes away from responsible businesses that go green. In this way, we create more lasting “green collar” jobs in a time of financial crisis, and help lower emissions to contain climate change.
Require Corporate Accountability
BC Greens will introduce and enforce amendments to the Business Corporations Act to ensure that businesses operate in a manner that positively contributes to social, environmental and economic prosperity.
Generate Clean and Green Energy
BC Greens will foster the building of green and clean, renewable energy facilities with an emphasis on cooperative and municipally-owned utilities, while providing the opportunity for private producers and transmission operators to participate in a mixed public / private energy system. The Green Party favours generating power where there is demand and does not advocate for improving transmission systems or creating new transmission infrastructure for large scale projects, favouring many smaller district-scale energy production systems These systems build in resiliency in the case of fail over and two, they create many more longer term jobs than large scale projects.
A new Ministry, combining environment, energy and climate change portfolios will oversee a new BC Energy Authority responsible for all aspects of energy regulation and planning for the province. Regional Resource Advisory Boards will oversee a diversified portfolio of projects to meet regional requirements in as local a manner possible.
Conservation will become a primary focus of Green energy policy which combined with an aggressive clean energy build out will remove our use of fossil fuels entirely.
Plan Liveable Cities & Transportation
BC Greens focus on improving the quality of life in communities with a variety of clean, affordable and efficient transportation options. These include walkable neighbourhoods; bi-cycling networks and infrastructure; promoting zero-emission electric vehicles; more buses of varying size and increased frequency and affordability; and rail of all forms (light rail, commuter and distance passenger rail and freight). We propose balanced and planned infrastructure investment — not expensive mega-projects. Evidence shows we cannot build our way out of traffic grid-lock. New roads and bridges simply lead to urban sprawl and increase long-term overcrowding.
A Strong Green Economy Will:
Expand small business grants and introduce employment incentive programs for green industry
– Increase basic personal income tax deductions to protect low-income British Columbians
– End homelessness and poverty
– Move to a genuine wealth accounting system
– Reduce our carbon footprint
– Shift tax loads to individual practices and industries that pollute
– Advance fair trade over free trade
– Eliminate corporate welfare
– Invest in alternative, local energy generation
– Reduce our dependence on gambling and oil and gas revenues
– Expand small business grants and introduce employment incentive programs for green industry
– Increase basic personal income tax deductions to protect low-income British Columbians
