VICTORIA — Climate policy experts are welcoming a review of B.C.’s climate strategy, though they appear divided on its effectiveness.
The province announced May 7 it will review CleanBC, the government’s climate plan originally released in 2018. An updated CleanBC Roadmap to 2030 was published in 2021. Independent climate experts Merran Smith and Dan Woynillowicz will lead the review.
“B.C. is not on track to meet its 2025 and 2030 targets,” the Ministry of Energy and Climate Change Strategy acknowledged in a statement, citing a growing economy and population.
Energy Minister Adrian Dix said in the 2024 Climate Change Accountability Report that actions already taken under CleanBC are projected to reduce emissions by 20 per cent by 2030 compared to 2007 levels.
However, that falls short of the targets outlined in B.C.’s Climate Change Accountability Act, which calls for a 16 per cent reduction by 2025 and 40 per cent by 2030.
Dr. Katya Rhodes, an associate professor at the University of Victoria’s School of Public Administration and former emissions modeller for CleanBC, said the plan has seen notable progress. While overall emissions have remained relatively flat, she noted that emissions per capita have dropped.
According to the most recent data, B.C.’s net greenhouse gas emissions in 2022 were 2.2 per cent lower than in 2007. But emissions per person declined by more than 21 per cent during that time, even as the population grew by 25 per cent.
Andrew Gage, a lawyer with West Coast Environmental Law, said it is misleading to frame those numbers as a success, arguing that total net emissions are what matter most.
“This comes in the context of a province that has consistently failed to meet its climate objectives,” Gage said.
He added the review should have happened sooner and criticized past government reports for failing to fully acknowledge the province’s shortfalls. He also called on the government to reconcile its climate goals with continued expansion in the oil and gas sector.
“There’s no economy in the world that has been dramatically expanding oil, gas and coal exploitation and also meeting its climate targets,” Gage said.
Rhodes said some policies have not been in place long enough to produce measurable results, including the Zero Carbon Step Code for new buildings introduced in May 2023.
“It’s really easy to say a policy is a failure when it’s only been in place for a couple of years,” she said.
She called the review an important opportunity to strengthen B.C.’s climate plan and re-engage the public. Rhodes suggested the government may need to reframe its policies around increased choice and flexibility, and even consider adjusting targets to build broader support.
Gage agreed consumers need more affordable ways to reduce their emissions.
“Responding to climate change has to involve helping all of us move forward, not just those who can receive a grant and afford to buy a new product,” he said.
The B.C. Green Party said in a statement it was pleased the review is going ahead, noting it was required as part of a 2024 agreement between the Greens and the governing NDP.
“We trust the reviewers to deliver a strong, evidence-based path forward that reflects the urgency of the climate crisis and the opportunities ahead. But it’s up to the government to decide whether to follow it,” interim party leader Jeremy Valeriote said.
The final report is expected this fall.
