VICTORIA, B.C. – This April 22 is Earth Day, and the BC Greens are calling on the provincial government to finally follow through on its promise to protect what actually makes this place Beautiful British Columbia: our healthy ecosystems.
The Canadian theme for Earth Day 2025 is “Open your eyes to protect biodiversity” — yet the BC NDP continues to look the other way. British Columbia is home to the most biodiversity in Canada, and that natural beauty is one of our main economic drivers. But it’s also home to more at-risk species than any other province or territory.
Despite promises — and eight years in power — the BC NDP has still not introduced stand-alone legislation to protect iconic at-risk species like the caribou or the spotted owl.
“This Earth Day, we’re telling the BC NDP to go touch grass. Take a hike. Literally reconnect with the staggering biodiversity in our province, and then take the necessary steps to protect it,” said BC Greens Interim Leader Jeremy Valeriote, MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky.
The draft Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework announced in 2023 was supposed to shift B.C.’s resource management, moving from a resource-extraction-first model to one that actually prioritizes the health of our natural systems. The framework would set science-based and Indigenous-informed standards for ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, and grasslands.
But this year’s plan for the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship made no mention of it and there’s no clear budget to support it.
“Trade wars, elections, COVID – there’s always a new excuse to put the environment on the back burner,” said Rob Botterell, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands, and Forests Critic for the BC Greens. “But there’s no excuse to let our ecosystems that we depend on for food, water, cultural connection, and yes, even economic resilience, continue to vanish.
Valeriote emphasized that protecting nature doesn’t mean stalling economic progress.
“Environmental protections and economic development are not enemies; in fact, they’re allies. We can tackle the climate crisis and the economic crisis at the same time,” he said.
“It’s not barren British Columbia, it’s beautiful British Columbia. “Without bold leadership, we not only risk losing iconic species, we risk losing billions of dollars. We need a vision of a government truly rooted in nature.”
Ryan Hook
Press Secretary, BC Green Caucus
T: (250) 882 6187