B.C. parties offer scant new climate plans as election nears
The main parties are pledging to expand LNG production while offering few fresh measures to address climate change.
British Columbia's main political parties have released their election platforms with few new policies on climate change. The BC NDP's climate plan, published on Oct. 10, includes a previously enacted law to cap power for data centres. The BC Conservative Party issued its full platform on Oct. 18, containing its first explicit mentions of climate change. The BC Greens promise to centre climate targets in all major government decisions.
The governing NDP's climate platform offers little that is new after nearly a decade in power. Leader David Eby pledges to enforce high water efficiency standards for data centres and make their water use public. The party also proposes a "Clean Futures Fund," starting with $50 million from oil and gas royalties, to support climate action and jobs. Eby would not confirm if his government still aims to collect 50 percent of gas company profits under a new royalty system set for 2027.
"We're going to hold on to high royalty rates," Eby said when asked about the 2022 target. "We're going to demand as much as possible and we're also going to build the economy." Both the NDP and Conservatives commit to expanding the liquefied natural gas industry, which is largely powered by burning gas. The Conservatives vow to double LNG production by 2032 and triple it by 2035 to make B.C. an "energy superpower." The NDP noted that five projects already in development will more than triple production by that date. The Conservative energy plan also seeks to scrap B.C.'s industrial carbon tax and replace it with rules to keep gas exports competitive.
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The Conservative platform proposes a new method for counting greenhouse gas emissions that contradicts the Paris Agreement. It suggests taking credit for "emissions avoided through cleaner B.C. exports," such as gas replacing coal. Leader Lorne Doerkson promises to cut two existing regulations for every new one created and revive a ministry to eliminate rules deemed burdensome. Doerkson's early priority is to repeal B.C.'s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, a pledge listed under "protect private property rights" though DRIPA does not address property. A Conservative government would pass a law to make public information on Aboriginal Title claims, negotiations, and related legal actions.
The Greens promise a 50-50 split of gas profits under the new royalty framework, which they say could yield over $4 billion for the province. They pledge to ban new fracking, LNG facilities, expansions and pipelines, and end subsidies and public financing for fossil fuels. Leader Emily Lowan alone criticized LNG Canada's decision to proceed with its Kitimat expansion, which Eby and Doerkson celebrated. Neither Eby nor Doerkson mentioned ongoing flare stack problems at the existing Kitimat facility, which have caused noise and black smoke for months. The operator seeks a permit change for higher emissions until the stack is redesigned in 2028. The Conservative platform mentions climate once, saying decisions should protect people from extreme weather, reduce emissions and deliver measurable results. "The need to develop our natural resources must always be weighed against the need to conserve our bounty through responsible resource management," the platform states. The Greens' economic and housing plans include climate-conscious components, focusing on a low-carbon economy and reducing building emissions.
With files from The Narwhal