Electric vehicle rebate among staff proposals to speed up Toronto’s target to become a carbon neutral city
TORONTO, Jan. 19, 2018 /CNW/ – Toronto is the first major Canadian metropolis to adopt a municipal carbon tax, but according to a poll commissioned by Climate Action, the majority of staff want to see a rebate for electric vehicles (EVs). The poll also shows the majority of staff support increasing the tax, but the city does not have any policies specifically directed at the EV rebate (EVB). The poll suggests that the EV rebate is something that residents of Toronto have advocated for on their own and that City Council and staff are willing to support, but they don’t have a plan to make it happen.
“The City Staff Committee is currently reviewing a policy that would ensure EVB rebates are a central part of the city’s planning for EVs and the associated vehicle tax,” a spokesperson for the City of Toronto stated. “This includes a review of the program, which is currently being developed, to determine how to deliver EVB rebates to lower-income households, who have a higher EV tax rate.”
Poll results
Carbon Tax:
The carbon tax has passed the city council by a vote of 10 to five at its first reading. The decision is the first in Toronto to take action on the issue of climate change, but if the city council passes the proposed policy and/or the rebate, then the city needs more support from residents before it actually applies the policy and the rebate.
A majority of Staff voted to support a carbon tax. The carbon tax will require staff to develop a proposal that will be presented to Council, which will approve or reject the carbon tax. The carbon tax would be a portion of the cost of new vehicles that would be charged on the vehicle registration plates, similar to the gas tax. The policy would apply to new and replacement vehicles, which currently have a zero carbon footprint.
The carbon tax is part of a broader, longer carbon reduction plan