B.C. expands carbon neutral fund to include colleges, universities, hospitals

VICTORIA – B.C.’s hospitals and post-secondary institutions are now able to access up to $9.5 million in government funding for projects that reduce energy costs and carbon emissions.

Environment Minister Mary Polak says universities and hospitals join public schools in the government’s Carbon Neutral Capital Program, which is expanding to $14.5 million from $5 million.

She says the money is available to the institutions to plan and complete energy-saving and pollution-fighting projects.

The money comes from a seven-year-old program designed to make public-sector operations carbon neutral and encourage them to cut emissions use by charging them $25 per tonne for greenhouse gas emissions.

Former auditor general John Doyle reported last year the government was not purchasing credible carbon offsets with the millions of dollars it was charging public institutions.

The lone Green party member in the legislature, Andrew Weaver, says he supports the government’s move to expand the carbon-neutral program.