B.C. wins COP26 climate award, but will plan to reduce emissions actually work?

Victoria -

After B.C. received an international award at the COP26 climate conference, the government sent out a news release to congratulate itself – but observers warn any celebration may be premature.

David Austin is a lawyer with Stirling LLP who specializes in energy. He pointed out the award was for an industrial emissions reduction program that we don't know works.

"There's a lot of patting on the back right now in British Columbia but all it is, is an award for a part of a plan," he told CTV News in an interview.

When it comes to CleanBC, the province's current plan to tackle climate change, Austin said until emission reductions are realized, it's still just a goal.

"We have plans," he added. "But in terms of our ability to execute on plans, we have failed."

In 2007, B.C.'s greenhouse gas emissions were 65.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e), the baseline most jurisdictions are trying to measure against. In 2019, B.C. emitted 68.6 MtCo2e – a five per cent increase.

When former premier Gordon Campbell brought forward climate change policy, including a carbon tax, the goal was to reduce B.C.'s emissions by a third compared to 2007 levels.

Very proud to receive the #Under2Coaltion climate award at #COP26! New thinking and renewed action will reduce climate pollution and build a cleaner, stronger future for all people in BC. #CleanBC

Details: https://t.co/49rN2DcnPJ pic.twitter.com/D7jStul8MW

— George Heyman (@GeorgeHeyman) November 7, 2021

That has environmentalists like Peter McCartney, a senior climate campaigner with the Wilderness Committee wondering why the province insists on propping up a liquified natural gas industry that relies on fracking.

"We cannot take any more half-measures on climate change. This government needs to recognize that the fossil fuel industry is the one causing the emissions," McCartney told CTV News.

He acknowledged the emissions would be higher if governments hadn't introduced policies. Yet he noted emissions are still increasing and there's a need to bring them down – and quick.

That's a message echoed at the UN Climate Change Conference by president Alok Sharma.

"My priority now is pace. There needs to be a sense of urgency in all our negotiations," Sharma told delegates.

At a recent workshop, B.C.'s environment minister said the province's CleanBC plan has specific targets for industries, and some goals are expected to be achieved earlier than initially thought.

George Heyman told delegates, "We know British Columbians expect strong action, we know that we can do it in British Columbia while maintaining a healthy economy."

Yet B.C.'s inconvenient truth is that none of the reductions targets ever set have been realized.

Heyman's comments and the government's view of its climate plan sound eerily similar to what Gordon Campbell told CTV News in 2009.

"I don't think there's any place in North America or any place that I’m aware of that's had a comprehensive a program to deal with the challenge of climate change, as we have in B.C.," he said at the time.