It’s not so long ago that terms like atmospheric rivers and heat domes were not part of our everyday vocabulary. We now understand too well what havoc they wreak. In 2021, intense heat and unprecedented heavy rains resulted in the death of more than 600 people, billions of dollars in damage, and the demise of 1.3 million farm animals and over 1 billion marine animals in B.C. alone.

We need a response from all levels of government that matches the scale of the global crisis we now face. We cannot afford any more missed emission reduction targets, and we do not want new fossil fuel projects that risk locking our province into a high-carbon future.

The provincial Climate Change Accountability Act requires the government to publish annual reports on its progress toward achieving climate targets. But so far these reports fail to include fully fleshed-out plans for every target in each sector—most notably oil and gas.

Along with the lack of reporting, the B.C. government is still approving new fossil fuel projects. This sets us up for growing the oil and gas industry when we should be investing in the renewable energy that is needed to reduce our carbon emissions and power a new green economy.

We want our provincial government to do its part to protect us from worsening climate risks like catastrophic forest fires, atmospheric rivers, landslides, and devastating heat domes. We need strong policies and plans in place to show that British Columbia is serious about taking action to combat the climate crisis.

Tell your MLA that you expect better. B.C. had some of the earliest and most ambitious carbon reduction targets in North America. We want to live up to those promises with clear and meaningful plans to achieve our climate goals by 2050. Send your letter today.

Your letter will be sent to your B.C. MLA and cc’d to B.C.’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, George Heyman, and Premier David Eby.