OSLO: The B.C. government needs a bright new attraction for its aging climate change show. The challenge is to find new ways to encourage consumers to switch from fossil fuels to renewable power. Whether the province adopts a carrot or a stick, it will take something big if the province is to meet its targets to reduce greenhouse gases.
Transportation is the biggest source of GHG emissions in British Columbia. Environmental organizations are lobbying hard to persuade the government to raise the provincial carbon tax, with its proven track record. The business community is pushing back, arguing that industry can’t afford an additional burden. The deciding factor may be the voters: Heading into an election in 19 months, the populist-minded Premier Christy Clark may shy away from jacking up a tax that, for all its revenue neutrality, will still be seen at the pumps.
Perhaps a carrot is more attractive. Norway – similar to B.C. in population and geography – has already successfully road-tested a model that has led to a significant shift to electric vehicles.
A new report from the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions, representing the province’s four leading research universities, says that model can be replicated in B.C.
Right now, one out of every five new cars purchased in Norway is electric and the country is on track to meet its latest goal of 7 per cent of all vehicles on the road running on renewable electric power by 2018.
The B.C. government has its own incentive program that offers up to $5,000 for battery-electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles – it’s one reason this province has the highest per-capita sales of electric vehicles in the country.
Even with that, electric-car sales account for less than 1 per cent of personal-vehicle purchases. It’s not enough to nudge the dial.
The Norwegian government offered a bushel full of carrots to encourage consumers to make the switch and the result is it has had 40 times more success than B.C.
Norwegians pay no taxes on new electric cars. Drivers of electric cars get to use high-occupancy vehicle lanes; they also pay no parking fees, road tolls or ferry fees.
Importantly, too, Norway has addressed the fear of getting stranded with a dead battery – known as “range anxiety.” British Columbia has roughly 600 public charging stations; Norway has more than 5,600.
