"Climate change is a defining issue of our time, imposing high and escalating costs on society over the coming decades and centuries. It requires clear, effective, and decisive action to reduce emissions. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development estimates that every dollar the industrialized world fails to invest in clean energy today will cost more than four dollars down the road."

CCEDNet-Manitoba with support from members in the province has made a submission to the Manitoba Climate and Green Plan survey outlining important environmental actions to growing a strong, equitable, and sustainable economy. 

Read the full submission to the Manitoba Climate and Green Plan survey

In the submission the following recommendations to the Government of Manitoba were made:

Carbon Pricing

1. Impose a carbon levy with a floor of $30/tonne based on British Columbia’s successful model, rising to $200 over time.
2. Complement the carbon tax with a strong set of regulations to reduce emissions from agriculture and transportation.
3. Establish a carbon tax credit for Manitobans living below the low-income cut-off.
4. Recycle the remainder of revenues to deploy low-carbon technology and energy systems that make it easier for the public to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.

Waste Disposal

1. a. Announce a deadline of 2020 for a full organics disposal ban in the Manitoba Capital Region.
   b. Introduce and enforce a phased fine for any organic material that is landfilled in the Manitoba Capital Region after 2020, with an initial threshold of 25% organic matter landfilled and decreasing to 5% by 2023.
2. Support the transition to improved organics management by:
   1. Offering a financial incentive to approved transfer stations and facilities that compost organic material in the Manitoba Capital Region.
   2. Making municipal waste management plans that include the diversion and composting of organic materials mandatory for the Manitoba Capital Region.
   3. Creating a provincial waste management plan that builds on the community expertise gathered in earlier government consultations.
   4. Implementing policies, funding and social procurement programs to support small businesses, social enterprises, and community initiatives that meet environmental, social and economic goals (i.e. diverting organics from landfills, improving community sustainability resources and providing local training and jobs).

Manitoba Housing

1. CCEDNet Manitoba recommends that Manitoba Housing provide social enterprises with energy retrofit work as part of accomplishing the goal of $10M in procurement annually.

Efficiency Manitoba

1. Give Efficiency Manitoba a mandate to partner with social enterprises in green economy initiatives.
2. Provide targets and timelines for ensuring green economy initiatives create jobs for Manitobans with barriers to employment.

Community-Owned Green Energy

1. Update the Manitoba Hydro Act to support the creation and maintenance of community-owned renewable energy, including:
   1. Implementing a long-term Feed-In-Tariff along with provisions to appoint an independent committee to set an acceptable price.
   2. Allowing and directing Manitoba Hydro to purchase power from community-owned renewable energy projects and that these projects be developed in consultation with the communities affected.

Read the full submission to the Manitoba Climate and Green Plan survey