B.C. climate plan leaves hard work for a later day

VANCOUVER / COAST SALISH TERRITORY — Josha MacNab, B.C. director at the Pembina Institute, made the following statement in response to Premier Christy Clark’s release of the province’s new climate plan:

“Last year, the Climate Leadership Team showed clearly that B.C. can both meet its climate targets and maintain a strong economy without trading one for the other. That’s still the right bar to be aiming for, and it’s a bar that B.C. has missed with today’s announcement.

“Under the Climate Leadership Plan released today, carbon pollution will not start to significantly decline for almost 15 years — assuming all the reductions in the plan come to fruition. This falls far short of the level of ambition needed to reach B.C.’s 2050 target and leaves the hard work for a later day.

“A climate plan must do two things: reduce emissions and support B.C.’s transition to a clean economy so it can remain competitive in a decarbonizing global market. With today’s plan, B.C. has missed key opportunities on both fronts.

“The commitments in the plan represent a piecemeal approach that the Climate Leadership Team warned would prove economically and environmentally ineffective. The key missing ingredient continues to be a strengthened carbon tax and the province-wide incentive it would provide to invest in clean energy and energy efficiency. Without this, B.C.’s plan will continue to miss the bar.

“B.C. has the capacity to do much more in the fight against climate change. Not doing so passes the costs of dealing with climate change onto our children and grandchildren.”

Quick facts

B.C.’s carbon emissions totalled 62.9 megatonnes (Mt) in 2014.
The measures outlined in the Climate Leadership Plan collectively represent a 2-Mt reduction in B.C.’s annual carbon emissions over current levels by 2030.
Under the plan, the Pacific NorthWest LNG project, near Prince Rupert, would emit around 8.9 to 9.6 Mt in 2030 and 9.6 to 10.5 Mt in 2050.
B.C.’s legislated emissions target for 2050 is 13 Mt.

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Note for media: Josha MacNab, B.C. director at the Pembina Institute, is onsite and available for comment following the government’s news conference.

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