Three Myths about Carbon Pricing
Carbon pricing is a practical, meaningful and fair way to reduce the pollution that is destabilizing our climate and threatening our health. But there are a lot of myths about carbon pricing. Here are 3 common ones. Myth #1: Carbon pricing will cost Canadian families Fact: People pay attention to prices every day. Carbon pricing will make it more expensive to pollute. If you pollute more, you’ll pay more. That’s fair. But it’s only half the story. Governments are using the revenues to make the transition to a cleaner economy affordable. For example, some governments are returning money directly to households. Myth #2: Carbon pricing hurts jobs Fact: Carbon pricing changes what we buy, and this changes the kinds of jobs we need, not the number of jobs we have. Governments are helping with training programs for people to transition into this cleaner economy—like Alberta has done with coal communities. Myth #3: Big polluters are getting a big break Fact: Like households, large emitters pay a carbon price on their emissions. This gives them a strong incentive to innovate and shrink their footprint. They also get support, which is designed to protect jobs and investment. Our economy will get cleaner, not smaller. Carbon pricing has many advantages. It should be a key part of Canada’s efforts to address climate change. Let’s rely on facts. Let’s debunk the myths! Our economists debunk 10 carbon pricing myths at ecofiscal.ca/myths *** Animation by Mobile Moonshine
