Environment
British Columbians already feel the effects of a changing climate. Our summers are hotter and heat waves are more intense. Severe flooding is more likely and we are seeing longer and more intense forest fire seasons. Some people say that if we’re supporting strong action on climate change, it costs jobs and opportunity. The opposite is true in our province. Our clean energy advantage, and low carbon building products mean if the world continues to move to a low carbon future, we’re going to have a huge advantage. Through predictable calls for power, we’re encouraging innovation in the industrial electricity sector as BC Hydro partners with innovative and productive firms that can deliver reliable electricity in every corner of the province. Through partnering with the private sector in attainable and affordable housing, we’re providing stability in a time of global uncertainty to help firms keep workforces intact for when interest rates come back down. We’ve also seen that by allowing reforms like single stairway buildings, higher wood frame buildings, and tall mass timber buildings, we can bring down costs while moving to lower carbon footprints and creating jobs across the value chain in our province. That’s why we’ve been leading in private sector job creation across Canada for the last twelve months, foreign direct investment in major projects, and why we have the highest GDP growth of big provinces since forming government and post-pandemic.
– British Columbia New Democratic Party
British Columbia is a resource-rich province we must not only utilize but also preserve. The
BC Conservatives believe we can bolster our economy and meet productivity needs while
ensuring our environment is intact for future generations.
One of the most important ways the construction industry can enhance sustainability is to
build green infrastructure like public transit and climate resilience measures like dykes and
levies. We are committed to major investments in both, including SkyTrain to Newton in
Surrey, and an overhaul of Fraser Valley flood protection infrastructure.
– Conservative Party of British Columbia
B.C. is well positioned to be a clean energy leader. With smart choices over the next four years, we can build a thriving clean energy economy, attract investment, and provide good jobs.
The BC Greens envision a clean energy future that drives job creation, climate action and economic growth. We would safeguard existing green spaces and expand the urban tree canopy. We would build dense, walkable communities. We would invest in sustainable resources, including forestry, to build environmentally-friendly buildings, and invest in public
transit to reduce congestion without the need for new roads.
We would Support early-stage innovators to advance green and commercial technologies, by expanding the Advanced Research and Commercialization program to provide support and mentoring to innovators at the early stages of development (levels 2 and 3 of the Technology Readiness Index), before they reach proof of concept.
Major investments are needed to expand BC’s electricity capacity. To do so, we will invest in renewable energy like wind and solar. We will improve energy storage and enhance energy efficiency. We will ensure a significant portion of our electricity is generated through Indigenous and community-led projects. All this strengthens our economy, and will require the development of a jobs plan that aligns regional economic development and workforce readiness with climate and energy plans.
– Green Party of British Columbia
British Columbians see every day how climate change is impacting people and communities across our province, making it challenging for workers’ livelihoods and affecting local watersheds. It makes it hard to know how John Rustad would deal with climate change – he doesn’t believe that human caused climate change exists, and wants to ban climate science books from our schools. While that may make for compelling viral videos, it’s not a great way to run a province. Here in B.C., we have requirements and resources to protect workers from the dangers of extreme heat in place. We take workplace risks of any nature very seriously – workers need to be safe. Last year the Province introduced the BC Heat Alert and Response system. There is more to do and we welcome input – we will continue to take action to protect workers in the face of our changing climate.
– British Columbia New Democratic Party
The Conservative Party of BC’s forestry plan wil vrestore the health of BC’s forestry sector, bring back jobs and competitiveness while enhancing biodiversity and sustainability for BCs
forests.
We are committed to investing in Wildfire Prevention and Response. This means introducing a common-sense plan for wildfire prevention, including prescribed burns and the use of advanced technology for early detection and response. Expand support for local communities and First Nations, and build world-class research capacity in fire management.
Our key commitments to wildfire management include:
- Undertaking a complete review of how wildfires are managed in BC.
- Working with contractors and the private sector to empower them to be able to act quickly in response to emerging wildfire issues.
- Providing local people and communities with training and equipment.
- Ensuring local volunteers and contractors are able to call-in to support their efforts.
- Working with universities to support the research and implementation of new technologies and methods for firefighting.
– Conservative Party of British Columbia
The BC Greens are committed to addressing climate change on all fronts.
Air pollution is now the greatest environmental threat to human health, and wildfire smoke plays a significant role. In Canada, it is linked to thousands of premature deaths each year, and in BC air pollution costs the healthcare system at least $14 billion annually.
There is no safe level of exposure to wildfire smoke. Even at low concentrations, it poses serious health risks. As climate change continues to accelerate, our exposure to this harmful pollution will only intensify, making it clear that urgent action is needed to protect public health.
In order to prevent excessive worker exposure, the BC Greens would ensure there are enough paid, trained professionals available to manage disasters, from mitigation to recovery. We would also introduce measures to protect renters, including requiring cooling systems in existing rental buildings or setting a maximum allowable temperature for rental units.
The BC Greens would introduce and pass the following Clean Air legislation:
- Monitor and regulate air quality in both indoor and outdoor environments, particularly in places frequented by vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant people, those with pre-existing health conditions, those who work outside, and the elderly.
- Establishing clean air centres in every community to provide safe environments during air quality emergencies, ensuring they have appropriate and safe levels of air filtration and air conditioning. Ensure clean air centres are equipped to meet the needs of the community, providing water, food, beds, access to Wi-Fi and other essential services.
- Make clean air accessible to people in their homes by providing funding to purchase portable air cleaners with HEPA filters.
- Mandate that existing infrastructure for vulnerable populations- including, assisted care facilities, childcare centres, and schools – are retrofitted with air filters.
- Require new buildings to have safe levels of air filtration and cooling and standardize this across the province.
- Ensure employers and operators adhere to regulations in order to ensure safe air quality standards are met.
– Green Party of British Columbia