Parties differ on the environment, offer few details on tax plans
Nowhere do the three main parties diverge more than on the environment. Getting a handle on what they are each planning means looking into their aspirations for the energy sector, too.
THE NDP
The New Democrats plan to pass legislation committing B.C. to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, “meaning there are either no harmful carbon emissions or they are offset by natural carbon sinks, carbon capture or other technologies.” New buildings will have to be net-zero by 2032. Trucks, buses, ports, airports, and marine vessels will be weaned off fossil fuels and industry fast-tracked through electrification. On the one hand, the liquefied natural gas industry will continue to expand, while on the other, the NDP will pursue “a comprehensive review of oil and natural gas royalty credits.”
THE LIBERALS
The Liberal platform is just as bullish on the future of LNG as the New Democrats, promising to expedite Indigenous-led LNG export projects and “establish accelerated review and approval processes.” The Liberals also promise a low-carbon future as “the world is moving away from oil within our lifetimes.” Expect more electrification of the transportation fleet and updated building codes. However, the Liberals want to review future increases in the carbon tax in light of the pandemic-induced recession. Wildlife habitat protection figures large in their plans with a new ministry for fisheries and coastlines.
THE GREENS
Expect an immediate end to logging in old growth forests and a shift away from the management of forests exclusively for timber. The Greens would apply the carbon tax to slash burning to ensure waste fibre is used for a better purpose. Expect a ban on hydraulic fracturing, a process widely used for extracting natural gas. Former Green leader Andrew Weaver blasted his former party for failing to halt the NDP's LNG expansion plans when they held the balance of power in the legislature, but it's clear they intend to hobble it, given the chance.
THE EXPERT
“The Green platform is really clear that they would immediately halt royalty credits, tax breaks and direct subsidies to oil and gas companies,” said Kai Nagata, spokesman for the environmental advocacy group Dogwood B.C. “The NDP has promised to review royalties and tax credits, but their position is confusing.”
“In opposition, the NDP railed against taxpayer subsidies to oil and gas companies being negotiated by the Liberals, but lo and behold, they take office and the subsidies go up,” he said. “In the latest budget documents, we are at $998 million a year.”
Eliminating subsidies is a “litmus test” for how seriously parties are taking climate action, he said.
“If we are trying to reduce emissions — and they are still going up — then a logical first step is to stop giving taxpayers' money to the companies that are driving these emissions,” said Nagata. “In sorting the wheat from the chaff, they would phase out the marginal oil and gas plays …”