The Pembina Institute welcomed the opportunity to provide input on the review of CleanBC, the climate plan that has consistently positioned B.C. as a leader in climate action in Canada and across North America. The actions within CleanBC have demonstrated that addressing the climate crisis can be done while growing resilient economies. The review of CleanBC comes at a critical time, as we find ourselves in a moment of “polycrisis”: geopolitical conflicts, rising social inequality, increasing cost of living, economic turbulence, and ever-worsening climate and extreme weather impacts. A new phase of CleanBC can ensure that ambition and leadership continue, while we collectively work to reduce emissions, make life more affordable, and create a strong, resilient economy.
Summary
CleanBC has been a world-leading climate plan, but the current political and economic context (including volatile trade dynamics with the U.S.) is causing challenges from both emissions reduction and public perception perspectives. A key goal in the review and refresh of CleanBC should be to ensure British Columbians see themselves in the plan, helping limit opposition to it.
We provided four key considerations to help guide the review and refinement of CleanBC:
- CleanBC is a plan for prosperity.
- Strong climate and clean economy plans will be critical for global competitiveness.
- Demonstrate success through stories.
- Success requires recognizing regional differences.
