policy in motion
​reassembling carbon ​pricing policy
​​University of Oxford

In this Master's project, I retraced the development of British Columbia's carbon tax from inception to implementation. Six policy stages emerged, from the introduction of the tax shift concept in 1998 to the implementation of a carbon tax in 2008. Research highlights and policy timeline below.



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Former Premier, Campbell, and former Governor, Schwarzenegger. Photo: Vancouver Sun. 2007.

highlights

• Public education and policy discussions in the 1990s created a foundation for a policy process in the 2000s

• Modelling the carbon tax on an existing gas tax model accelerated the policy process and eased administration

• Timing of policy implementation risks coinciding with gas price spikes

• Expend effort on public communication in addition to tax design

• Public preference shifted from a revenue-neutral to a revenue-generating model