Stand.earth reacts to the B.C. Green Party election platform 

Unceded Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh territories (Vancouver, B.C.)  — Ahead of the televised leaders debate taking place tomorrow, Stand.earth climate experts and advocates provide analysis of environmental commitments that are proposed in the B.C. Greens’ election platform. The Green’s platform supports a science and evidence-based understanding of the need for First Nations-led land management, and that protecting B.C. communities against increasing unnatural disasters of wildfires, droughts, floods means reining in the fossil fuel industry.

Liz McDowell, Senior Campaigns Director at Stand.earth, said:

“True leadership requires the ability to make decisions that are in the best interests of the people you’re accountable to, both today and into the future. As we stare down the double barrel of escalating biodiversity and climate crises – which we’re all experiencing in our day to day lives through costly droughts, floods, deadly heat domes and devastating wildfires – we need leaders who will act with the ambition and urgency required to keep the people of B.C. safe from extreme weather events while also building an economy where future generations will flourish, and where everybody has what they need to live a good life. Getting there means shifting from an extractive economy to a more sustainable one, which the Greens aspire to in their platform.”

Sven Biggs, Canadian Oil and Gas Program Director at Stand.earth, said:

“The science is very clear, no jurisdiction, including British Columbia, can continue to build major new fossil fuel projects if we are to have any hope of avoiding the worst impacts of climate change. Despite this, successive B.C. governments have continued to permit and even use taxpayers money to subsidize new LNG terminals and fracking wells. Already our province has witnessed wildfires, floods, and heat domes that were made more powerful due to the effects of climate change. I hope that other parties will also acknowledge these warning signs and adopt policies rooted in the realities of climate science.“

Sunil Singal, Climate Campaigner for SAFE Cities Canada at Stand.earth, said:

“There needs to be commitments by political parties to accelerate the reduction of emissions from existing and new buildings if we want to have any chance of meeting CleanBC’s building emissions reduction targets. New buildings constructed today, which will likely still be standing in 2050, need to be built with heating and cooling systems – like electric heat pumps – that do not rely on fossil gas. Although there is no timeline given, we welcome the B.C. Green Party’s commitment to end gas hookups in new buildings province-wide.

With affordability also top of mind for British Columbians, financial support is needed to retrofit existing buildings with electric heat pumps. It is encouraging to see both the B.C. Greens and the B.C. NDP commit to reducing the costs of heat pumps for residents in order to be able to comfortably heat and cool their homes.” 

Tegan Hansen, Senior Forest Campaigner at Stand.earth, said:

“Working in partnership with First Nations on land and water protection should be central to every party’s platform. It is encouraging to see the Greens put forward a platform with clear actions to defend irreplaceable old growth forests, while working toward the long-term resilience of forests and forest communities. B.C. residents deserve clear, bold and  implementable plans from every political party, to make sure the forests that we all rely on will be standing and thriving for generations to come.”

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Stand.earth’s climate experts and advocates are available for comment on B.C. environmental policy issues during the election campaign, and on the climate priorities the new legislative assembly must put at the top of their agenda.

Media contacts:

For comment on oil, LNG, electrification and renewable energy –

Sven Biggs, 778-882-8354, sven@stand.earth and Kiki Wood, kiki@stand.earth, 604-757-7030

For comment on old growth forests, industrial logging, and forest biomass – 

Tegan Hansen, 250-354-3302, tegan@stand.earth

For comment on building electrification and progressive building policies – Sunil Singal, 604-368-3536, sunil.singal@stand.earth

For assistance with arranging interviews, please contact Stand.earth’s Canada Communications Specialists:

Kathryn Semogas, 778-653-2303, kathryn.semogas@stand.earth

Arin de Hoog, 613-978-7329, arin.dehoog@stand.earth

Reaction to the B.C. NDP’s platform is available here.