“Despite not having the evidence to back it up, the B.C. government has been telling British Columbians for years that (it) is a climate leader and has a robust plan to achieve our climate targets.”
–Matt Hulse
B.C. has failed to reduce its climate pollution levels at all after seven years and more than $4 billion in spending, and will not be able to hit even the first of its legislated emissions reductions targets, the government revealed this week.
Energy Minister Adrian Dix made the admission while releasing a CleanBC report that was supposed to have been made public last fall but he said was delayed because of the provincial election.
“It is apparent from the report, and the purpose of the report is to be absolutely clear on these points, that we are not on track to meet our near-term 2030 goals,” said Dix.
“We are not on track to meet our near-term 2030 goals.”
Adrian Dix
It is the first time the BC NDP government has admitted publicly it cannot meet the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets it passed into law in 2018. And it comes one month after Premier David Eby scrapped the provincial carbon tax, which was designed to help cut GHG levels but became politically unpopular due to the added cost to consumers.
The NDP government’s own law mandates the province to reduce its GHG emissions to 40 per cent below 2007 levels by 2030. The 2007 baseline level amounts to 65.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent a year, and the 2030 target would be just shy of 40 million tonnes.
Instead, according to the 2024 report on Tuesday, B.C. currently sits at 65.6 million tonnes. That’s a 0.2 per cent increase from the 2007 baseline, and nowhere near the trajectory the province was planning.
It’s also an increase from the previous year – the province’s emissions are growing on an annual basis, not decreasing.
Greens call out ‘climate inaction plan’
B.C. has spent more than $4 billion on its CleanBC environmental programs since 2018, including $400 million in this year’s budget.
Dix said he’s launched a comprehensive review of the CleanBC program, in partnership with the BC Greens, who helped craft the initial version.
The Greens slammed the government’s latest data, calling it a “climate inaction plan.”
“The province is currently set to reduce emissions by just 18 per cent by 2030, far below the legislated target of 40 per cent,” BC Green interim leader Jeremy Valeriote said in a statement.
“The BC NDP just admitted they’re missing their own climate targets. And they have no plans to fix it.”
“And they have no plans to fix it.”
Jeremy Valeriote
Valeriote said the decision to eliminate the carbon tax will only make matters worse, and the province has also failed to rapidly scale up public transit to offset emissions.
Transportation biggest GHG polluter
Although the report does project an 18 per cent reduction in GHG emissions by 2030, there is no clear outline from government on how that will be achieved.
Transportation is driving the pollution growth, according to the report, up 18 per cent in the latest year, and as a sector, accounting for 42 per cent of B.C.’s GHG emissions. The biggest increase was from commercial heavy-duty transport vehicles.
“There’s also great potential, I think, to improve that [transportation emissions].”
Adrian Dix
“There’s been, I think, not enough on heavy duty vehicles, on trucking and other things, progress made technologically,” said Dix. “We haven’t reached those goals.
“So if you look at all of the sectoral areas, the one where emissions have increased is transportation.
“That would be the area, if you look at the report, where we haven’t made as much progress as we’d like to, and there’s also great potential, I think, to improve that situation.”
Auto sector wants cancelled EV subsidies reinstated
Confusing matters, Dix also announced Tuesday the province would be ending its EV rebates of up to $4,000 effective May 15. The move follows a recent federal government decision to end its subsidies for EV buyers.
“We are committed to building on that success by working with auto makers and dealers to determine the best ways to continue to support EV adoption here in B.C.,” said Dix. “This work will form part of the upcoming broader review of CleanBC programs.”
Zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) accounted for 22.4 per cent of light duty vehicle sales in 2024 — a slight decrease from 2023, and the first decrease since B.C. began tracking EV adoption in 2015.
“When there were lapses in funding, we saw a dramatic decline in ZEV sales.”
Blair Qualey
B.C.’s automobile sector slammed the decision, saying rebates were essential to encouraging new customers to purchase more expensive EVs.
“Over the course of the program, when there were lapses in funding, we saw a dramatic decline in ZEV sales, and we truly hope that government will see the logic in retaining the program,” said Blair Qualey, president of the New Car Dealers Association of BC.
With rebates off the table, the association called on government to pause its law requiring 90 per cent of all light vehicles sold in 2030 to be EVs. Auto makers could be fined up to $20,000 per vehicle if they fail to hit the targets.
Climate advocates want action, not words
Environmental groups panned government’s lack of progress on pollution reduction. They said it raises alarm bells, considering Premier David Eby has expressed support for expanding liquefied natural gas, mining, natural gas and other high-polluting resource sectors.
“There’s a lot B.C. needs to do to get on track to achieve its climate targets—but the single best and easiest step is to stop building new fossil fuel projects,” said John Young, a senior strategist at Climate Action Network Canada.
The Pembina Institute tried to highlight successes in government policy, including a 60 per cent increase in heat pumps and an emission reduction courtesy of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard.
Ecojustice said it’s one thing to admit a lack of progress and another thing to try and solve the problem.
“Despite not having the evidence to back it up, the B.C. government has been telling British Columbians for years that (it) is a climate leader and has a robust plan to achieve our climate targets,” said Matt Hulse, an Ecojustice lawyer.
“Now we need to see the government follow up with new policies and actions.”
Matt Hulse
“As disappointing as it is to see that we’re wildly off track to our targets, we’re glad that B.C. has acknowledged it. Now we need to see the government follow up with new policies and actions that make sure we achieve our targets on time.”
Clean Energy Canada did not criticize government for missing its targets, but did encourage it to launch an independent expert review as quickly as possible.
Energy sectors reduce emissions
Despite being the target of the environmental groups, the province’s oil, gas and industrial sectors, reduced emissions 11 per cent, mainly due to the capturing of more fugitive emissions, according to the report.
Pollution from communities was down 6 per cent, primarily due to improvements in solid waste disposal.
Emissions from residential buildings were up 1 per cent and pollution from commercial buildings up 10 per cent, reflecting what Dix called “dramatically, really unprecedented increase in our population.”
At a press conference accompanying the release of the report, Dix tried to point to other metrics of success, including emissions reductions per person, and per unit of GDP — but those are not targets in the legislation the NDP passed in 2018.
“We have, I think, the most ambitious clean energy plan in the history of the province,” he said. “And we need to pursue that vigorously.”