Under the Climate Change Accountability Act, the B.C. government is legally required to submit a report to the legislature each year outlining progress on climate action.
In 2018, the government passed legislation requiring a 16 per cent cut in emissions from 2007 levels by 2025 and 40 per cent by 2030.
But the latest report projects emissions will only be 2.6 per cent below 2007 levels by 2025 and 20 per cent lower in 2030.
This is far short of the mandated targets.
West Coast Environmental Law recently stated that: 香蕉视频直播淭he B.C. government has officially acknowledged it is not on track to meet its 2025 and 2030 climate targets (not even close). At the same time, it continues to greenlight massive fossil fuel developments, directly undermining its own climate commitments.香蕉视频直播�
Jeremy Valeriote, BC Green interim leader, recently stated: 香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檝e got legislative targets, and we香蕉视频直播檙e not even projected to be halfway there.香蕉视频直播�
Increased emissions from oil and gas extraction and transportation are largely to blame.
Last year香蕉视频直播檚 report was quite hopeful and painted a different picture.
The government forecast that its CleanBC plan would result in the province almost meeting its 2030 target.
Why were predictions so far off?
Journalist Zoe Yunker, said: 香蕉视频直播淏ut that projection included the impact of rules the province had not enforced and targets with no clear policies supporting them.香蕉视频直播�
Matt Hulse, a lawyer for Ecojustice says: 香蕉视频直播淲e have been calling on the B.C. government for the past four or five years of reporting to deliver more detail in these reports so we can understand the progress they anticipate making.香蕉视频直播�
The report said it would 香蕉视频直播渆nhance香蕉视频直播� its program to require industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but offered no details on what that might look like.
Even though these details were missing, the report included these assumptions in last year香蕉视频直播檚 forecast.
How can B.C. close the growing gap between its climate targets and anticipated emissions reductions?
Kathryn Harrison, a UBC professor, says the government could describe in detail which specific policies and rules it is relying on in its modelling.
It could be broken down policy by policy.
The report should clearly lay out which LNG projects it is including in its emissions forecasts as that is a big area of uncertainty.
For example: LNG Canada香蕉视频直播檚 second phase would produce an additional 2.3 megatonnes of emissions, roughly five per cent of the province香蕉视频直播檚 total emissions.
Those new LNG emissions would throw a wrench into B.C.香蕉视频直播檚 climate targets.
B.C. claims to be a climate leader but it has never met a climate target.
Meeting these targets is crucial if B.C. hopes to protect human health and well-being, protect B.C.香蕉视频直播檚 natural ecosystems and water resources, prepare for and adapt to the impacts of a changing climate, and promote economic stability.
B.C. must do better.
Jane Weixl is with Climate Action Now! North Okanagan
