Climate report slams province with three failing grades

A B.C. watchdog is calling on the government to act amid fears of a wildfire climate disaster locally.

A coalition of organizations, First Nations leaders, and healthcare professionals are urging the province to take greater climate action.

The experts are part of an initiative, named BC Climate Emergency Campaign, that has launched a report detailing how the province is falling behind on climate change solutions.

“I think it’s high time that people begin to understand the consequences of ignoring the climate crisis,” said Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs.

On Tuesday, the campaign revealed the province’s progress through a report card detailing ten action items.

It gave the NDP government three failing grades in setting binding climate pollution targets based on science and justice, winding down all fossil fuel production and use, and tracking and reporting progress on these actions every year.

“British Columbia is not the leader that it claims to be,” said Tracey Saxby, co-founder of My Sea to Sky.

“B.C. has failed to meet its emissions reductions target for over a decade and is not on track to meet its 2025 target,” Saxby added.

The seven remaining items received seven minor progress grades, meaning some policies or actions are in progress.

Dr. Melissa Lem, a family physician and president of the Canadian Association of Physicians, said while the province has made progress on methane regulations, it continues to approve and expand fossil fuel projects.

“Our health and our health care system cannot afford further delay by the B.C. government on effective climate action,” she said.

The coalition is urging the province to cease its LNG export projects and prioritize decreasing emissions to prevent further climate emergencies.

“2023 and 2024 were the worst wildfire seasons in Canada’s recorded history, filling our emergency rooms and offices with asthma attacks, heart disease, anxiety and depression,” Dr. Lem said.

The group said solutions exist, such as electrifying buildings and investing in public transit.

Denis Agar, the executive director of Movement: Metro Vancouver Transit Riders, appealed to the province to pivot from fossil fuel projects to transit.

“We have really well-used transit in this province,” he said. “More than any region in North America, and we have so much popularity for transit. It polls well.”

The BC Climate Emergency Campaign was formed in 2021. More than 600 organizations have signed on to an open letter addressed to the province to confront the climate crisis.

CTV News reached out to the province for comment and will update the story if a response is received.