Accounting for nature: Increasing revenues in support of environmental management

13 Oct Accounting for nature: Increasing revenues in support of environmental management

Accounting for nature: Increasing revenues in support of environmental management

Alberta is no stranger to budgetary turmoil thanks to its significant reliance on oil and gas revenues and the tumultuous pricing of the commodity. For environmental management and regulation, this means competing with various other government priorities for a piece of the budget pie.  This budgeting for environmental monitoring, planning and management is not sustainable.

Resources are needed to address the broad suite of environmental challenges, from point source pollution to non-point source pollution and the cumulative environmental effects we have on the environment.  Revenues generated can be used across the spectrum of environmental governance: monitoring, assessing, planning, administration of regulation, and compliance and enforcement.

In our upcoming webinar, we seek to highlight various approaches that can be taken to move towards balancing the budget and to outline where legislative reforms are needed. This includes payments being made for environmental impacts, either as a fee or levy or through a requirement to offset harms, through investment, or through environmentally linked taxation.

We will identify approaches that are currently enabled in Alberta law, gaps in these approaches and highlights opportunities for law and policy reform.  The webinar and report will be of interest to anyone who feels there is a need for more consistent and sustained sources of revenue to ensure Alberta has an effective environmental management system.  Topics will include water licence rents, legacy liability funding, municipal conservation funding and more.

ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTRE:

The Environmental Law Centre (ELC) has been seeking strong and effective environmental laws since it was founded in 1982. The ELC is dedicated to providing credible, comprehensive and objective legal information regarding natural resources, energy and environmental law, policy and regulation in Alberta. The ELC’s mission is to advocate for laws that will sustain ecosystems and ensure a healthy environment and to engage citizens in the laws’ creation and enforcement. Our vision is a society where our laws secure an environment that sustains current and future generations and supports ecosystem health.

As a charity, the Environmental Law Centre depends on your financial support. Help us to continue to educate and champion for strong environmental laws, through tools such as our blog and all of our other resources, so that all Albertans can enjoy a healthy environment. Your support makes a difference.
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