Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Chad Klassen

ELECTION 2020

ELECTION ISSUE: Climate Change

Oct 21, 2020 | 4:27 PM

KAMLOOPS — From the calls from young people to improve the climate to government initiatives to reduce emissions, the environment is near the top of any election campaign, and it’s no different leading up to this 2020 provincial election. The BC NDP implemented the CleanBC plan two years ago, aiming for low emission targets in the next few decades. However, not all parties agree with the plan and its outcomes to this point.

In the fifth and final part of our election series, Chad Klassen spoke with all the parties about their climate-action plans.

In 2018, the NDP government aimed to reduce pollution and create green-energy jobs in its CleanBC initiatives. The province’s goal is to reduce 2007 level emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.

NDP candidate in Kamloops-North Thompson Sadie Hunter has a Master in Science focusing on climate change adaption and mitigation. She feels the party has the most comprehensive plan.

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“It was endorsed by the Green Party and it was done in collaboration with the Green Party and Dr. Andrew Weaver. It looks at reducing emissions to get to net zero by 2050, supporting investments in access to electric vehicle chargers, encourage people to adopt electric vehicles when it’s financially possible,” said Hunter.

The BC Liberal Party says that plan has failed to date. Kamloops-South Thompson candidate Todd Stone claims emissions are in fact up in the last few years when the province is in a position to become an energy superpower.

“That would mean significant investments in innovation in wind, solar and other renewable energy sectors, a lot of which by the way will involve First Nations and Indigenous people in every corner of the province,” said Stone. “We’re going to signficantly invest in expanding transit, get more people out of their cars.”

The BC Green Party feels neither the Liberals nor NDP have a great climate-action plan. Thomas Martin, the Green candidate in Kamloops-North Thompson, says the Greens are the only party taking the climate crisis seriously.

“It’s hard to take the other parties seriously when they say, ‘Climate change is serious. Climate change is real,’ and they’re still pursuing industries that will absolutely demolish our climate change targets,” said Martin. “Climate leaders don’t frack gas. Climate leaders don’t subsidize fossil-fuel industries. It’s frustrating hearing other parties talk about their climate action, but I’m not actually seeing that action.”

Independent candidate in the Kamloops-North riding Brandon Russell is running on a platform focused largely on climate change. He feels the climate crisis is a state of emergency.

“We’re seeing governments around the world banning the sale of gasoline cars by 2035 right now. The oil industry is dying as it is and we still continue to put hundreds of millions of dollars into subsidies for these fossil-fuel-emitting companies,” said Russell. “Since 2017 when the NDP took office, we’ve seen a 70 per cent increase for fossil fuel subsidies and fossil fuel tax cuts within British Columbia, which is the highest we’ve seen under any administration right now.”