{"id":9390,"date":"2024-09-27T04:00:24","date_gmt":"2024-09-27T04:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/climate-crunch-big-apple-vs-baku-carbon-tax-twists-emissions-slashing-workhorse\/"},"modified":"2025-03-26T04:54:39","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T04:54:39","slug":"climate-crunch-big-apple-vs-baku-carbon-tax-twists-emissions-slashing-workhorse","status":"publish","type":"rbc_tl","link":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/climate-action-institute\/climate-crunch\/climate-crunch-big-apple-vs-baku-carbon-tax-twists-emissions-slashing-workhorse\/","title":{"rendered":"Climate Crunch: Big Apple Vs Baku, Carbon Tax Twists, Emissions-Slashing Workhorse"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Issue #01<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2794<\/span> Welcome back to the newsletter formerly known as Climate Signals, offering crunchy insights and quick takes on changing climate and energy trends.
\n\u2794<\/span> Big Apple\u2019s Big Climate Bash
\n\u2794<\/span> What EV Sales Downturn?<\/p>\n

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Hot takes<\/h3>\n

\u2794<\/span> Carbon tax was seen as good climate policy\u2014now it\u2019s a victim of climate politics. NDP\u2019s Jagmeet Singh<\/a> and B.C. premier-in-campaign-mode David Eby\u2019s<\/a> about-turn on the once much-touted consumer carbon taxes reflects the electorate\u2019s changing views on carbon tax<\/a>. Never mind that the levy added a mere 0.15 percentage points<\/a> to inflation\u2014it\u2019s radioactive. That leaves the Liberals with a bit of soul searching to do and perhaps even eye some course correction. With the government ruling <\/em><\/strong>out a pause<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, increased exemptions or higher rebates (as they did for some <\/em><\/strong>rural Canadians<\/em><\/strong><\/a>), could save the tax from being axed, says Shaz Merwat, our energy lead.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2794<\/span> Electricity is Canada\u2019s decarbonization workhorse. Sector emissions have plummeted 38% since 2005, and led an 0.8% drop in overall emissions last year, The Canadian Climate Institute<\/a> estimates. But can clean electricity continue to dazzle, as the grid will<\/em><\/strong> need to possibly <\/em><\/strong>triple<\/em><\/strong><\/a> by 2050, <\/em><\/strong>hydro power<\/em><\/strong><\/a> faces droughts and new carbon capture and nuclear projects are at least a decade away? Meanwhile, demand for power-thirsty sectors such as AI and datacentres could force some to lean on gas.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2794<\/span> Speaking of electricity, Manitoba unveiled a new plan that highlights the challenge of developing more, cleaner, power. Plan highlights include:<\/p>\n