New carbon tax could be funding Portland climate initiatives

  • 2020-11-18
Portland city officials are considering levying a tax on producers of greenhouse gases as a means of battling climate change.

A proposal by the city’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability would put a tax on local manufacturers colleges, universities, and hospitals, among others, that release large amounts of carbon into the air. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality already monitors airborne pollutants, including carbon.

It is estimated that with the $25 per ton carbon tax being considered by the planning bureau, an additional $10m per year could be raised. Those funds could be used to boost a collection of Portland’s climate initiatives, among which are investments that will improve overall air quality by cutting Portland’s fossil fuel emissions.

Print shops are essential to explaining the pros and cons of a tax proposal with an eye towards getting the public on board for a new tax.

The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability is hoping for a vote by the City Council on their proposal by the end of 2020, as this will enable an alignment with the Portland tax calendar. It will take three yes votes for the proposal to pass the five-person council.

If the carbon tax proposal passes, it would make Portland the first city in the country to implement a greenhouse gas emissions tax.

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