The Goodfellas Wood Oven Pizza chain is charging a two percent “carbon fee” on every order.
“And then as I was leaving the restaurant, I say, ‘Oh, hey, look at this. What is this fee?’” restaurant patron Joseph Christiano said in an interview with CTV News.
An explanation of the fee was written near the bottom of the receipt.
“What we eat fuels climate change,” it read.
“Adding two percent to every restaurant bill to invest in carbon capture will help offset our carbon footprint.”
The text goes on to urge the reader to find out more on the restaurant’s website, which states: “At Goodfellas, we believe that what we eat impacts the environment.”
The website says that the company imports products from Italy, and to “offset our carbon footprint,” it is supporting a tree planting program, and asks customers to “join us by choosing to donate.”
The federation’s Ontario director Julie Kwiecinski said, “businesses can do this.” It’s like a “cleaning fee, eco fee, or fuel surcharge,” she added.
The NPRI can fine companies that meet reporting requirements but either fail to report, do not report on time, or submit false or misleading information, although it does not set emissions limits.
A main element of the Conservatives’ platform is to “axe the [carbon] tax” if elected. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently said that all it would take to get Canadians on board with the carbon tax would be a five-minute conversation with each one.
