VANCOUVER — On Friday, July 18, the Pembina Institute submitted its recommendations for consideration by the B.C. government through the independent review of CleanBC. Jessica McIlroy, the institute’s manager of Government Relations, said:
“For years, in an era of stand-alone climate plans, CleanBC was a leader. But to lead today, any plan must recognize that climate policy, economic policy, and community well-being go hand-in-hand. A refreshed CleanBC plan should be a plan for prosperity, focused on delivering the community-based benefits people need most: more affordable energy choices, healthier air and buildings, and a more resilient economy that can withstand external shocks.
“Across Canada and around the world, jurisdictions are making huge investments in clean energy development, electricity distribution and transmission systems, and energy efficiency and demand-side management measures. We need to act with ambition and urgency to keep pace. The expansion of B.C.’s clean electricity system is our best opportunity to build the provincial economy, reduce emissions, increase energy security, and attract investment to our province. This is the moment for B.C. to confirm itself as a global clean energy leader and support British Columbians in making household-level changes to improve the energy performance of their homes and shift to zero-emissions vehicles.
“B.C. should maintain its emissions reduction targets and align them with other levels of government to ensure that we fulfill our commitment to a net-zero 2050. Significant progress has been made in reducing upstream emissions from B.C.’s oil and gas sector, thanks to efforts to reduce methane emissions. But we need to go further. We’ll need to strengthen our output-based pricing system, and advance electrification, fuel-switching, and carbon capture. Otherwise, with no binding requirement to be net-zero by 2030, and two years of carbon tax relief upon initial operation, proposed LNG terminals have the potential to add 4.5 megatonnes per year to B.C.’s industrial emissions, wiping out any gains made in other industries and through household-level actions.
“CleanBC can be the anchor in delivering what B.C. needs right now: decreased household energy bills, improved air quality and respiratory health, greater investment opportunities and a well-supported workforce, and advancements in reconciliation through partnerships with First Nations. A refreshed CleanBC should recognize the interconnectedness of these outcomes and share the plan’s success stories more prominently so that British Columbians understand the plan and its true potential.”
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Read B.C. climate future: Pembina Institute recommendations regarding the independent review of CleanBC
Contact
Brendan Glauser
Senior Director, Communications, Pembina Institute
604-356-8829
Background
Report: A Clean, Resilient Future: Recommendations for advancing British Columbia's net-zero energy economy
Report: Amped Up: Options for growing British Columbia’s electricity supply
Report: Recruit, Train, Retain: Fostering Low-carbon industries through regional workforce planning
Report: Raising the Bar: How targets and measurement are crucial to leadership on oil and gas methane
