Pacific NorthWest LNG approval is step backward for climate action in Canada

VANCOUVER / COAST SALISH TERRITORY — Matt Horne, associate B.C. director at the Pembina Institute, made the following statement in response to Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna’s approval of the Pacific NorthWest LNG project:

“With today’s decision on the Pacific NorthWest LNG project, Minister McKenna made it much more difficult for Canada to meet its climate targets and signaled that it’s OK for provinces to miss their own emissions targets. If built, Pacific NorthWest LNG will be one of the largest carbon polluters in the country and a serious obstacle to Canada living up to its climate commitments.

“The project as designed fails two critical tests from a climate perspective. First, the carbon pollution from the project has not been minimized. Even with the conditions included in the approval, the project would still be significantly higher polluting than other LNG proposals in the province (31% higher than LNG Canada, and 75% higher than Woodfibre LNG). These other proposals demonstrate that better performance is possible. Second, B.C. is already projected to miss its climate targets by a wide margin and the province’s new climate plan did little to solve the problem. Pacific NorthWest LNG simply does not fit into a credible plan for B.C. to achieve its legislated climate targets.

“Despite claims to the contrary, the production and export of LNG from B.C. has not been demonstrated to help reduce global emissions. Stronger climate policies — not increased fossil fuel production — are what we need to position the British Columbian and Canadian economies to thrive in a low-carbon future.”

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