Thursday, March 28, 2024

Province flunks important test: BC Climate Emergency Campaign’s report card is not good

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The BC Climate Emergency Campaign (BC CEC) handed out a report card to the province on 10 urgent actions BC was to implement to help combat climate emergency. 

The province scored mostly ‘F’s.

The report card that received mostly failing grades was based on an open letter published in 2021. The open letter to the province had the overwhelming support of over 200 organizations.

After a little over a year, the open letter now has over 450 organizations behind it. Collectively, they represent over two million British Columbians—nearly half the province’s population.

With a new premier taking office in November, the recent report card is a call-to-action for premier-designate David Eby and his administration to prioritize urgent climate action.

Related:

BC residents have seen intensifying weather conditions and climate disasters in recent years. 

These climate conditions and weather events are impacting the lives, health and well-being of people all across the province, with a disproportionate impact on indiginous peoples. 

BC has experienced two atmospheric rivers with more on the way, severe flooding, catastrophic landslides, drought, wildfires and low water levels in rivers across the province that have detrimental effects on wildlife such as salmon and their ecosystems since the open letter was published. 

Related:

“We cannot continue to subsidize fossil fuels and expect clean energy to manifest somehow. We cannot continue to expand fossil-fuel infrastructure and hit our climate goals,” said premier-designate Eby while outlining his agenda last week.

“Our legislated climate targets are of significant importance; targets I want our province to hit.”

What the BC CEC wants is for premier-designate Eby to implement climate action priorities within his first 100 days in office. 

(Visual Science)

The 10 urgent climate actions, and their grades, are:

  • Setting binding climate targets based on science and justice – FAIL
  • Investing in a thriving, regenerative, zero emissions economy – FAIL
  • Rapidly winding down all fossil fuel production and use – FAIL
  • Ending fossil fuel subsidies and make polluters pay – PROGRESS
  • Leaving no one behind. Making Indigenous and remote communities an equal priority to urban communities – PROGRESS
  • Protecting and restore nature such as old growth and conservation – FAIL
  • Investing in local, organic, regenerative agriculture and food systems – PROGRESS
  • Accelerating the transition to zero emission transportation – PROGRESS
  • Accelerating the transition to zero emission buildings. Ending the use of natural gas heating by 2030 – FAIL
  • Tracking and report progress on these actions every year – FAIL
(Visual Science)
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Curtis Blandy
curtis@victoriabuzz.com

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