Since November 2012 when I made the proposal to withdraw from the BC Climate Action Charter, there have been numerous articles in the national, provincial and local press exposing the Pacific Carbon Trust and the concept of carbon offset in general. The practice of buying carbon offsets was dealt another crushing blow last week from BC's auditor general, John Doyle.
The auditor general looked at two projects that together accounted for 70 percent of the offsets needed by the provincial government to achieve carbon neutrality. One was a grant to Encana, a Calgary based oil and gas company, to reduce flaring, and the other was to the Nature Conservancy in a deal to protect a forested property called Darkwoods.
Doyle confirmed what others had also seen, that both of these projects would have or could have proceeded without the approximately $6 million they received from taxpayers through the Pacific Carbon Trust.
The public sector including schools, hospital,and universities have been ordered to buy carbon offsets by the province. Municipalities on the other hand will do so voluntarily. Why? Nelson has stated that it will not be buying carbon offsets and will be investing in local energy-saving projects. I shall continue to encourage Golden to do the same.
To read last week's article in the Vancouver Sun follow the links below;
Pull the plug
on false promise of carbon offsets
Nelson cuts
emissions right at home
