FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UNCEDED xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (MUSQUEAM), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (SQUAMISH) AND səlilwətaɬ (TSLEIL-WAUTUTH) TERRITORIES/VANCOUVER – Sierra Club BC is warning about a big increase of climate pollution in B.C. and globally as LNG Canada Phase 1 is getting ready to export 14 million tonnes of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) per year to other parts of the world. Producing and burning LNG, or fracked gas, pollutes the earth’s atmosphere and increases global warming.

“With deadly heatwaves and massive forest fires in Canada and elsewhere, we need to reduce climate pollution. Affordable renewable energy alternatives are readily available and being built all over the world, and right here in B.C., providing jobs and cheaper energy than fossil fuels,” said Shelley Luce, director of campaigns for Sierra Club BC.

B.C. has been seen as a climate leader because of its CleanBC plan, but the province is not on track to hit its pollution reduction targets. The oil and gas sector is a major climate polluter, and pollution from new LNG projects will make it even harder for B.C. to reduce carbon emissions. CleanBC is currently under review, amidst growing concern about B.C.’s and Canada’s stubbornly high levels of climate pollution compared to other G7 countries.

“We know that betting on LNG and other fossil fuel exports is causing higher temperatures, intense droughts and wildfires that hurt people and businesses,” said Jens Wieting, senior policy and science advisor for Sierra Club BC. “Everything from food prices to home insurance costs is connected to climate pollution. From installing heat pumps to building wind and solar power instead of new LNG projects, we have solutions to protect communities from worsening climate impacts.”

LNG Canada Phase 1 is expected to increase B.C.’s emissions by about 4 million tonnes of CO2 per year (about 6% of B.C.’s current emissions), mainly from fracking and processing. Once burned abroad, the 14 million annual tonnes of fracked gas from LNG Canada Phase 1 will result in over 36 million tonnes of CO2 per year (more than half of B.C.’s current official emissions).

If additional proposed projects including LNG Canada Phase 2, Woodfibre, Cedar, Tilbury and Ksi Lisims all go ahead, the emissions from B.C.’s oil and gas sector would increase to over 30 million tonnes, and emissions from burning B.C. LNG abroad would increase to about 130 million tonnes. The combined total of 160 million tonnes would be 2.5 times higher than B.C.’s current climate pollution levels.

The B.C. government has a range of options to ensure all sectors, including oil and gas, achieve their legislated targets; from enacting stricter emission regulations to fully redirecting fossil fuel subsidies to climate solutions, and increasing the price on industrial carbon pollution.

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