Energy Forum letter to Premier Christy Clark on B.C. Climate Leadership Plan

• We agree with the team’s findings that B.C. should move ahead with strong climate policies to help address the climate crisis, and that in doing so the province can continue building a strong and diverse economy. B.C.’s positive economic performance under the Climate Action Plan provides solid evidence in support of this conclusion.

• We agree with the team’s recommended approach of building on the climate policy framework already in place. Policies such as the carbon tax, the clean electricity standard, the energy-efficient building code and the low-carbon fuel standard have proven successful environmentally and economically, and it makes sense to build on that foundation of success.

• We agree with the team’s recommended approach of moving ahead quickly on implementation and having most of the policies committed to with substantive progress made by the end of 2016. Moving forward in a timely manner will help get B.C. back on track, and it is also a critical opportunity to support global momentum following the positive agreement in Paris.

We are concerned that the stall in B.C.’s climate policy development since 2012 left the Climate Leadership Team in the position of being unable to produce recommendations that would get B.C. on track to its legislated 2020 target. We don’t want to see delayed action and missed targets become the dominant climate narrative in B.C. To help avoid this we are committed to continue working with government on the Climate Leadership Plan — both in terms of further developing policy ideas and building support for implementation.

Regarding policy development, our members have highlighted the following areas of interest:

• Filling in gaps in the transportation and buildings recommendations to ensure that the policy package in the final Climate Leadership Plan is adequate to meet the 2030 targets identified in the Climate Leadership Team’s recommendations.

• Providing further detail on how the province can successfully implement the recommendations to increase the use of renewable energy in remote communities and on the integrated grid.

• Providing government with specific solutions on how competiveness for emissions- intensive, trade-exposed sectors can be maintained while increasing and expanding the carbon tax, and how to assess when such measures are necessary.

• Recommending approaches to minimize the local environmental impacts from the new renewable energy sources that will be needed as a result of the policies in the Climate Leadership Plan.

• Supporting opportunities to increase and expand the carbon tax sooner than recommended by the Climate Leadership Team (2018 and 2021 respectively).

• Ensuring that LNG and natural gas development do not undermine the province’s ability to meet medium and long-term climate targets.

• Providing further detail on the direct investment that the provincial government should be making in transportation choices that help British Columbians and B.C. businesses reduce their carbon pollution (e.g. transit, walking/cycling infrastructure, rapid electric vehicle charging, etc.).