VICTORIA, B.C. – Adam Olsen, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands and member of Tsartlip First Nation has released the following statement in response to the BC NDP government granting an environmental assessment certificate for Cedar LNG, another expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure in B.C.
“What we know for sure from yesterday’s announcements is that the BC NDP approved a new LNG project, while many of the details of their other announcement, an Energy Action Framework, remain unclear or unknown.
“I can see the direction of the Energy Action Framework is largely positive - an emissions cap for oil and gas, expanding our electrification as per our 2030 roadmap, and fast-tracking clean energy technology are all good goals. However, the framework remains largely void of details. For example, we need to see the criteria for ‘net-zero’ and whether the MOU they announced turns into more government subsidies of the fossil fuel industry.
“British Columbia is not currently on track to meet our emissions targets, we know that existing LNG expansion projects do not fit within our CleanBC commitments, and Cedar LNG makes meeting those commitments even more challenging. It may be true that future proposals have a steep hill to climb to meet the requirements of the framework, and that the new framework will increase the cost of producing LNG in British Columbia, however, what is already approved is far outside our climate commitments.
“Premier David Eby said when he was appointed Premier a few short months ago, that ‘we cannot continue to expand fossil fuel infrastructure and hit our climate goals.’ Only time will tell if the outcome of the framework is indeed fewer fossil fuel proposals. We reserve our right to be celebratory until we see more definition in the proposed framework.
“I am deeply concerned that the BC NDP is pitching climate change-inducing fossil fuel projects as economic reconciliation with Indigenous people. The fossil fuel industry and proponents have been aggressively carbon-washing LNG in British Columbia. I’m not surprised to see that industry bringing their billions of capital to partner with Indigenous people but true economic reconciliation must include the provincial government doing more to proactively increase access for Indigenous Nations in clean-energy production.”
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