Horgan commits to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, Greens want plan to get there

SQUAMISH — A re-elected NDP government would commit to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, John Horgan promised Friday as the environment and natural resources took centre stage in all three main party campaigns.

Horgan made the announcement during a stop in Squamish while B.C. Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson announced support for the beleaguered forestry industry in Merritt.

Horgan said the commitment builds on the existing CleanBC plan developed in partnership with the Green caucus.

Using 2007 as a baseline, B.C. is already committed through legislation to reduce emissions by 40 per cent by 2030, 60 per cent by 2040 and 80 per cent by 2050.

“It means not only will we meet our reduction targets, but we will also aggressively go to make sure any new emissions are offset by either sequestration or some other technologies to make sure that net-zero allows our economy to continue to grow and also addresses the challenge of further greenhouse gas emission,” he said.

But Green Leader Sonia Furstenau said the net-zero emission promise is meaningless without a plan for how to get there.

Studies suggest that when the NDP-backed LNG Canada project is factored in, emissions from oil and gas production will exceed B.C.’s existing 2050 target by 160 per cent, even if all other emissions are reduced to zero by 2035, she said in a news release.

The $40-billion LNG Canada export terminal bills itself as the largest private infrastructure project in Canadian history.

“There are some significant problems with what they are proposing,” Furstenau said during a media availability at the Malahat summit.

“The biggest problem with CleanBC is we can only get to 75 per cent of our legislated targets because of LNG Canada.”