A report commissioned by the B-C government says its pursuit of new liquefied natural gas projects stands to ``all but wipe out hard-fought gains in other sectors.’’
The independent report based on a review of B-C’s climate plan also casts doubt on the economics of L-N-G, saying a ``glut’’ of the fuel is expected to persist through 2030 and could push down prices.
The report says the province will fall ``well short’’ of its 2030 goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent from 2007 levels.
Conservative MLA Larry Neufeld says the NDP government’s CleanBC review is ignoring the plan’s overwhelming economic harm and must be scrapped entirely.
“CleanBC is crushing families and workers in communities like mine,” said Larry Neufeld, Conservative Critic for Oil, Gas, and LNG. “Costs are rising, investment is fleeing, and industries that built this province are being regulated into decline. Calling this a review is dishonest. The only responsible path is to scrap CleanBC and start over.”
The analysis provided by the Industrial Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA) earlier this year outlines severe impacts on construction, natural gas, forestry, mining, manufacturing, transportation, and housing.
The BC Conservatives say these consequences are being felt across the North and Interior in the form of mill closures, cancelled projects, and shrinking job opportunities.
Neufeld adds that the government’s removal of the consumer carbon tax does not address the more than 20 additional taxes, mandates, and regulatory measures embedded in CleanBC.
Neufeld said British Columbians were told EV mandates and CleanBC targets were realistic, only for the government to now retreat from them because they were never achievable. “Families were misled,” said Neufeld. “Affordability collapsed while Victoria lectured people about targets they could never meet.”
The Conservatives are calling for CleanBC to be scrapped in full and replaced with a practical climate and energy plan that protects the environment without destroying the economy.
West Coast Environment Law also issued a statement criticizing the review, saying it downplayed a history of weak climate action that has led to B-C missing its climate targets, which it could have met by taking them seriously.
With files from The Canadian Press