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Alberta's Carbon Tax Might Be A Major Blow To Cities

Alberta's new climate change strategy includes an economy-wide tax on carbon.
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While opponents to Alberta's new carbon tax say rural areas will be hit the hardest, city officials are arguing that they're worried about finances, too.

The province's incoming economy-wide tax on carbon will cost the average family about $500 a year by 2018, and about $960 by 2030.

The tax will also add about seven cents to the cost of a litre of gas.

But the City of Calgary says it'll be an expensive change for them, too, because it has to pay for thousands of vehicles and over a dozen rec centres — all of which run on fossil fuels.

"Those are operating costs for the city and operating costs are covered by property tax," Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi told CBC News. "So we will be looking at the provincial government... 'How will you be making this whole?'"

Premier Rachel Notley, however, insists the possible job growth created by the new climate change plan will help churn money back into Alberta's cities, according to the Edmonton Journal.

"We will be looking at the provincial government [and asking,] 'How will you be making this whole?'"

Even though it might have to work out some kinks, it seems that on the whole climate and economic experts alike are pleased with the new strategy.

"It's not the economist's perfect (model), but it's real-world," said Mark Jaccard, an energy economist at Simon Fraser University. "I'm seeing policies I like."

With files from The Canadian Press

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