Determination of 2007 baseline level
As soon as reasonably practicable, the minister must determine and make public the 2007 BC greenhouse gas emissions level for the purpose of section 2.
Bill 44 (2007), Section 3

On November 20th, the Campbell government tabled Bill 44 in the Legislature. Section 2 states that: "by 2020 and for each subsequent calendar year, BC greenhouse gas emissions will be at least 33% less than the level of those emissions in 2007; and by 2050 and for each subsequent calendar year, BC greenhouse gas emissions will be at least 80% less than the level of those emissions in 2007." Of course there are a few challenges such as not knowing the level of greenhouse gas emissions in the base year, and not knowing how the reductions will occur or what the consequences will be.

Bill 44 sets "targets"; there are no consequences in the legislation if the government fails to meet the targets. Of course, the current bunch of MLAs won't be in office in 2020, let alone 2050. The consequences of failing will be suffered by today's youth who will be living in a very different world than we enjoy.

Bill 44 requires that the provincial government and public bodies be "carbon neutral" by 2010, but the government can't say how much public bodies currently contribute to the province's total greenhouse gas emissions. The minister is required by the legislation to report in 2008 and in subsequent "even numbered years". Cynics might think that skipping a report in 2009 might have something to do with the election cycle; the next election is May 12, 2009.

The European Union Emission Trading System (EU ETS) is recognized as the world leader in emission trading and the issues associated with it. It has been criticized for over-allocating emission credits. Monitoring, reporting and verification is the key to the operation of capping emissions and trading permits for emissions. Documents on the EU ETS website discuss the challenges involved in monitoring, reporting and verification. The frequently asked questions section elaborates on the difference between "accuracy" and "uncertainty". Even a cursory review of these concepts leaves a reader with the impression that the Canadian income tax code is child's play by comparison. In embracing action on climate change, the Campbell government must abandon its commitment to deregulation. If the EU ETS is any example, businesses in BC have no idea of the extent of regulation that is about to be imposed.

While a few individuals may question the wisdom of proceeding with controls on greenhouse gas production, no political party in BC or Canada actively opposes it. Real action is hard to find, but there is serious competition on plans, promises, news releases and empty legislation, like California's, which is well intentioned but seriously lacking in details. We should be so lucky as to be able to solve all problems by simply legislating a target and striking a committee to discover a means to meet it. Actual progress on solutions requires the kind of steps started by the EU ETS, and that means accepting the pain that goes with it.