VICTORIA, B.C. – Today, the BC NDP and BC Greens released the CleanBC review as part of the Cooperation and Responsible Government Accord (CARGA). First, we’d like to thank the reviewers—Merran Smith and Dan Woynillowicz—for the significant amount of work done on this review. The BC Greens intend to hold this government accountable to the CleanBC Review.
The climate reality and political landscape in 2025 is different from the one British Columbians were promised by this government when they took office in 2017. The NDP has repealed the consumer carbon tax, paused EV rebates, and accelerated LNG production—all while the climate crisis becomes more expensive, disruptive, and dangerous every year.
“B.C. used to be a climate leader; but now, we are climate laggards,” said Jeremy Valeriote, MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky. “British Columbians deserve a plan that meets the moment, not shrinks from it. Our hope was that this review was an opportunity to reset BC’s climate direction and put people over political and corporate interests.”
The report makes it clear that the government’s LNG ambitions cannot coexist with climate realities. LNG remains the loudest contradiction in BC’s climate policy.
“LNG is the elephant in the room, and it’s drowning out everything else,” added Valeriote. “Credit to the reviewers for acknowledging in the report that we are trying to fit a square into a circle:
‘[T]he pace and scale of incremental climate pollution from new LNG projects […] would negate reductions from other sectors.’”
“We agree: you can’t meet climate targets while handing out permits to expand fossil fuels. This review identifies the disconnect, but simply does not go far enough to stop fossil fuel expansion. While we had hoped that the review would be stronger in outlawing LNG, the government must heed the Review’s advice: to stop subsidizing an industry that will have such acute and long-lasting effects on people and the planet.”
Additionally, the BC Greens are dismayed by the CleanBC reviewers’ recommendations to:
- Remove sectoral targets
- Abandon the oil and gas emissions cap
- Reduce the 2030 emissions target
- Rely on unproven made-in-BC renewable natural gas (RNG) to bring down emissions in the utility gas system
On the other hand, there are valuable ideas and recommendations in the report we support, such as:
- Aligning CleanBC with UNDRIP and DRIPA
- Establishing a net zero pathways assessment, and an electricity allocation framework that supports fuel-switching and prioritizes allocation to net-zero sectors and activities
- Reporting on progress indicators beyond emissions data, so the public is aware of the more tangible climate action underway
- Calculating the social cost of carbon and fiscal implications of a changing climate to reflect the real impacts of emissions
- Empowering the BC Utilities Commission to more directly support CleanBC objectives.
- Directing climate policy revenues back into climate pollution reduction measures like a Clean Economy Diversification Fund
- Strengthening the 2030 Low Carbon Fuel Standard target
- Maintaining a made-in-B.C. zero-emission vehicle target
- Supporting a B.C. Youth Climate Corps
- Striking a Citizens Assembly on a Sustainable Economy for BC
- Amending the Climate Change Accountability Act to enshrine net zero by 2050 and ensure independent expert oversight
- Supporting industrial carbon pollution pricing and strengthening measures to reduce oil and gas sector methane emissions
- Driving all-of-government CleanBC delivery through the Premier’s office
- Recognizing the global context, that clean energy is displacing fossil fuel investment worldwide because it is more efficient and less costly, opening generational opportunities for B.C. in clean energy, including good jobs and affordability gains
“If fully implemented, these recommendations would move BC closer to real climate action—but only if the government stops ignoring the LNG elephant in the room. We can’t expand fossil fuel infrastructure and claim to meet climate commitments. This review makes that clear, even if the government won’t.”
“Climate action from a government that prioritizes and subsidizes oil and gas is not a climate plan at all. We will continue to do our part to hold this government accountable to CleanBC, and be guided by the science and the economic realities of climate solutions—not the politics of this specific moment in time.”
To see the final report of the Independent CleanBC Review, visit: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/app/uploads/sites/121/2025/11/CleanBC-Independent-Review-Final-Report-November-2025.pdf
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Media contact
Ryan Hook
Press Secretary
BC Green Caucus
+1 250-882-6187 | ryan.hook@leg.bc.ca