City Council is urged to stay the course on Climate Action Levy

A Kamloops non-profit is urging City councillors to maintain funding for the Climate Action Levy, which is once again under threat as the 2025 budget edges closer to being finalized.

The agenda for the Tuesday, April 1 special meeting of the Committee of the Whole asks for direction from Council on the Levy, which was already reduced by half last year.

“We understand that Council is under pressure to reduce taxes,” says Transition Kamloops spokesperson Gisela Ruckert, “but the fact is that the Levy is such a tiny amount already that any reduction would be more of a symbolic move at this point. Giving each taxpayer the equivalent of a free cup of coffee won’t make this year’s tax increase any more appealing and it will cost us more in the long run. Plus, the BC government has announced that the carbon tax will be eliminated this year, and that will ease the City’s financial crunch this year. It makes sense to put some of those savings toward local preparedness.” 

This year, the Levy would amount to approximately $7 for the average household in Kamloops, and the staff report recommends that Council consider reducing that by half. In a City that has been heavily affected by heat waves and wildfires, it’s important to invest in the health and security of our residents.

Transition Kamloops encourages councillors to factor in the long-term costs of their budget decisions. The Climate Action Levy was purposefully set lower than what was needed in 2022, and was expected to rise incrementally over 10 years. “If we keep cutting every year, we won’t get close to where we need to be in 10 years,” says Ruckert. “It’s like setting up a savings account for your child’s higher education, and then continually “borrowing” from it. Eventually, the child will graduate, and there won’t be enough money for them to be able to go.”

Climate action is one of the most fiscally responsible expenditures that cities can make. In fact, from a numbers standpoint, there are good arguments for increasing the Levy to the 0.5% annual increase that was originally proposed.

Modelling from the Canadian Climate Institute shows that for every $1 invested, governments can save between $13 and $15 in future damages. Since climate change is a time-sensitive issue, that impressive return on investment will be reduced if the investment is delayed. Either we pay now, or we’ll be paying much more later.

In addition to reducing future damages, spending on climate action spurs a host of desirable co-benefits: enhanced livability, improved public health, reduced air pollution, increased carbon sequestration, ecosystem preservation, economic innovation, improved water quality and enhanced resilience to future extreme weather events.

Since climate impacts disproportionately affect our most vulnerable citizens and those with the greatest economic challenges, these investments reduce inequity in our community. In particular, active transportation infrastructure and improved transit enables folks to get around more easily regardless of their age, level of mobility, or economic status.