Skip to content

Yukon carbon rebate bill tabled in the legislative assembly

Yukon premier and finance minister Sandy Silver tabled the bill March 11.
15921957_web1_020318_budget-005WB
Crystal Schick/Yukon News Yukon Premier and finance minister Sandy Silver tabled the Yukon government’s carbon rebate bill March 11.

Yukon premier and minister of finance Sandy Silver tabled a carbon tax rebate bill in the legislative assembly March 11, another step towards returning the money that Yukoners will pay into the tax.

The move follows a public engagement period that wrapped up on Feb. 4. Thirty emails were received by the Department of Finance from residents, according to a Yukon government webpage, noting that there was some concern about how the carbon tax could impact businesses.

As a result of the engagement period, though, the Yukon government will craft more regulations intended to reduce emissions from large mines, according to a press release.

“This will be done by directing revenues from the federal Output-Based Pricing System towards investments in green energy made by large mines,” it says. “These regulations will be developed in the coming years.”

Ahead of the federal backstop, which comes into effect this summer, the Yukon government released its proposed plan for the rebate program on Jan. 17.

That plan lays out how residents, businesses and municipalities, among others, will be compensated for paying into the tax.

Starting on July 1, each tonne of carbon will be taxed by $20. This number will climb incrementally by $10 until it hits $50 by 2022. The levy will plateau afterwards.

Yukoners are to receive rebates in October.

Contact Julien Gignac at julien.gignac@yukon-news.com