Weekly Briefing: Carbon Fee & Dividend In Action: Canadians Now Get Quarterly Checks

July 27, 2022

Good news: Our neighbors to the north are perfecting their carbon fee and dividend policy! As of this month, Canadians have begun receiving their first quarterly dividend checks from the country’s carbon fee. Before now, Canadians received a rebate on their annual taxes. Moving forward, they will receive direct cash payments.

“The first payment will include the first two quarters of the year,” the Global News reported. “Single adults will receive $269.50. A family of four can expect to receive $539.50.” The next quarterly dividend checks, officially called “Climate Action Incentive” payments, will be sent in October and January.

The Sudbury Star spoke with Citizens’ Climate’s own Cathy Orlando, who said, “Receiving checks from pollution pricing is literally a dream come true. I want to take this moment to thank all the unsung heroes who made this happen in Canada.”

Many of those unsung heroes are CCL volunteers, who have worked for years to help bring about this day. Canada first announced its plan for a nationwide carbon fee and dividend in 2016, and the policy went into effect in 2019. Canada announced the move to quarterly dividends in Jan. 2021, and our volunteers were crucial in making that happen.

Share the Good News!

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In other news this week: 

• Bipartisan bill makes moves: The bipartisan RISEE Act, one of CCL’s supporting asks, has passed out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Head to our Lobbying Congress forum to find out how our volunteers helped make this happen, and learn what’s next for this bill.

• CCL supports Save Our Sequoias: Lawmakers in the House have introduced a bill aimed at protecting giant sequoia trees. CCL has endorsed and posted about the legislation, which is all the more urgent due to recent wildfires near some of these ancient groves. 

• Carbon pricing in California: In a new blog post, CCL’s research team reviews a few studies about the impact of carbon pricing on California’s environmental justice communities. One paper finds “that disadvantaged communities may have experienced on average a greater decline in emissions since the start of the cap-and-trade program than other communities.”

If you have a little time: Share the news of the flash flood that hit St. Louis this week. You could share this tweet or post this article from the New York Times, which notes that “as the climate warms, flash floods will increase.” You could also write to your member of Congress to express your concern over increasing extreme weather like this.

If you have more time: Gather with other CCLers to write a letter to the editor at our next LTE Writing Zoom party. Hosted by CCL’s State and Local Media Coordinator Charlotte Ward, the workshop takes place virtually on Tues., Aug. 9, at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT. Charlotte will give you timely topics to write about, and you will have time to write your letter before the hour is up. RSVP here, or share that link with others in your chapter who may want to attend.

Find your CCL chapter | Check out our Action Teams | Browse upcoming events

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Featured Lever This Week 

Grassroots outreach: Activate voters with EVP

Imagine what would happen if everyone who cared about climate and environmental issues made their voices heard at the polls. CCL Executive Director Madeleine Para says, “That would create an environment where every Republican and every Democratic candidate has to have a strong position on climate change in order to be viable.”

You can help make that happen in the 2022 midterm elections by mobilizing people through the Environmental Voter Project (EVP). EVP has phone banking opportunities available right now, and our recent blog post gives you the details on how to get involved.

For inspiration, take a look back at this story from the 2020 election cycle, where CCL volunteers Courtney, Ruby, and Kathleen share their experiences volunteering with EVP.

Get Inspired!

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Upcoming Trainings 

7/28: Big Tent Climate Talks - Hear from Robert L. Glicksman, George Washington Law School's J. B. and Maurice C. Shapiro Professor of Environmental Law, about the Supreme Court's Decision on West Virginia v. EPA. Join us!

8/4: Exploring CCL Youth's Climate Classroom - CCL now offers a flexible, multi-disciplinary curriculum for students to learn about climate change and climate solutions. Join CCL's Sharon Bagatell and Margie Towner at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT for an overview of the curriculum, which includes 14 interactive lessons, instructional materials, and more. Join us!

8/4 - A Fresh Take on CCL’s Introductory Presentation - Join CCL Presenters and Schedulers Action Team Leaders Dave Cain, Irene Yang, and Abe Mazliach at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT to learn about a new presentation slide deck that gives a fresh spin on CCL’s introductory presentation. Join us!

Need training on the basics? Catch our next session of Core Volunteer Training, made for newer volunteers:

8/2: Understanding Congress Basics - Have a question about the legislative process in Congress? Join CCL Government Affairs Coordinators Jamari Hartley and Hardy Almes to learn the details of the congressional policy-making process, how a bill becomes law, and what life is like for staffers and members of Congress. Join us!

To see other topics and past trainings, visit the Training Topics page of CCL Community.