Get the Budget and Nova Scotia into the Green

April 8, 2010

Thinking green could help Nova Scotia address its fiscal problems.  Tuesday’s budget wasn’t green or even pale green but as the government considers next steps, in particular how to cut costs, applying a green or sustainable lens will be helpful and ensure that cuts are smart and targeted.

“Taking a green approach to fiscal reform can identify big and small cost cutting opportunities and advance environmental and other goals. We need to put Nova Scotia into the black and green,” comments Mark Butler, Policy Director at EAC. 

Cost cutting measures the EAC has identified include the following:

• stop building new roads-107 m/yr
• stop subsidizing destructive forestry practices, such as clearcutting-3.1 m/yr
• reduce government energy use, water use, paper use and more-20-40 m/yr
• eliminate grants and loans to businesses which aren’t sustainable-50 m/yr

“We are dismayed that the province is willing to spend $107 million on new roads when we can’t even afford to maintain existing roads. According to news reports, this is Nova Scotia’s second biggest road budget in recent memory. With the province facing the debt it is, spending on roads seems extravagant,” says the EAC transportation coordinator Jen Powley.

The Government could have taken a green approach to raising revenues. They could have brought in a smart energy or carbon tax, raising revenue and also reducing other societal ‘bads’ such as GHG emissions and  pollutants harmful to human health.   In contrast, the 2% hike in the HST brings in dollars but does little else. With the HST hike, future opportunities for taxing environmental bads are reduced.

The Centre applauds the government on its continued and expanded support for energy efficiency. Investing in energy efficiency is a win-win-win as it saves money, helps the environment and reduces reliance on imported fossil fuels.

In 2007 the Government introduced the Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act with the support of all parties. During the 2009 election the present government reaffirmed their support for the Act and its 21 goals. The Act sets out an ambitious and compelling goal to make Nova Scotia one of the cleanest and greenest jurisdictions in the world and one of the most prosperous Canadian provinces.

“If the Government and opposition parties are serious about making Nova Scotia one of the greenest jurisdictions in the world as set out in EGSPA, the big stuff--the throne speech and budget--have to be green,” emphasizes Mark Butler, Policy Director at EAC.
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For more information contact Mark Butler at 429-5287 or Jen Powley at 429-0924. See our March 12 budget recommendations.