Guilbeault and Officials Provide Conflicting Numbers on Carbon Tax Emissions Impact

Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault told MPs the carbon tax reduced emissions by nearly 3 percent in a given year, while department officials said the figure was closer to 1 percent. During testimony at the House of Commons environment committee on May 21, Mr. Guilbeault said the price on carbon was responsible for reducing emissions by 5 megatons in 2018, 14 megatons in 2019, 17 megatons in 2020, 18 megatons in 2021, 19 megatons in 2022, and 24 megatons in 2023. According to his department, Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions was 708 megatons in 2022, which suggests the carbon tax would have reduced emissions by 2.68 percent. Conservative MP Dan Mazier said he was puzzled by the figures provided, given Mr. Guilbeault had formally told him back in January that Ottawa doesn’t measure the impact of federal carbon pricing....