By recognizing that 鈥渉umanity is waging war on nature,鈥� the United Nations arrived at the idea of making peace with nature. Regrettably, the sa国际传媒 government pays 颅little heed to calls to make peace with nature, whether from the UN or its own citizens. On the contrary, it continues to make war on nature even though, in the words of UN Secretary General Ant贸nio Guterres, this is suicidal.
This week, I consider sa国际传媒鈥檚 inadequate action on the first of three global ecological crises the UN recognizes 鈥� climate change. Next week, I will look at sa国际传媒鈥檚 inadequate action on biodiversity loss and pollution, as well as on the wider economic, social and other transformations needed if we are to make peace with nature.
The sa国际传媒 government produces an annual greenhouse gas inventory. The last one, 颅published in August 2020, covers 1990 to 2018. It charts progress in meeting the 颅鈥渓egislated emissions reduction targets (a 16 per cent decrease by 2025, 40 per cent by 2030, 60 per cent by 2040, and 80 per cent by 2050)鈥� 鈥� all compared with the baseline year of 2007.
In 2018, our emissions were seven per cent above 2007 levels, having risen four years in a row, suggesting we are not likely to come anywhere near a 16 per cent 颅reduction by 2025, never mind the one-third reduction by 2020 that was set by the Liberal government in 2007.
In a critical article in January, Marc Lee, a senior economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and co-director of the Climate Justice Project, pointed out that the modelling and assumptions in the NDP鈥檚 2018 CleanBC plan are inadequate and that 鈥淐leanBC does not include any planning to meet sa国际传媒鈥檚 2040 and 2050 emissions t颅argets.鈥�
Even worse, he notes, 鈥渢he biggest flaw in CleanBC is that it permits LNG [liquefied natural gas] development.鈥� When LNG 颅sa国际传媒 opens in 2025, he writes, it 鈥渨ill become the province鈥檚 largest point source emitter of GHGs the day it opens鈥� and its future emissions 鈥渨ill make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for sa国际传媒 to meet its 2040 and 2050 targets.鈥� Note this is only for the emissions created in extracting, processing and transporting the fuel for export, not the emissions that result when these exported fossil fuels are combusted elsewhere.
On top of that, an independent review of sa国际传媒鈥檚 natural gas royalty system, released in September, concludes: 鈥淭he sa国际传媒 颅royalty 颅system for natural gas and oil is broken. It does not support and contribute to 颅government and societal goals,鈥� which include supporting sa国际传媒鈥檚 climate 颅commitments. Specifically, the report notes, the production rate incentives, introduced in 2001, encourage low-production wells to keep operating, which 鈥渄oes not help meet GHG targets.鈥�
While not really this government鈥檚 fault 鈥� this is a failure long in the making 鈥� it does suggest continuing to provide supports to this industry that are not then adequately recovered through royalties is throwing good money after bad.
Furthermore, adding insult to injury, the NDP continues to support fracking and other fossil fuel investments. Indeed, it has almost doubled its support since coming to power, to $1.3 billion annually, 颅according to a 颅September 2020 report from the 颅environmental organization Stand.Earth.
This in spite of the fact that one of the important actions proposed by the UN is to 鈥渆liminate environmentally 颅harmful 颅subsidies,鈥� which includes fossil fuel 颅subsidies. Instead, says the UN, 鈥渞edirect that support to low-carbon and nature-friendly solutions and technologies.鈥� 颅Meanwhile, support for CleanBC in the April聽2021 budget is only $506 million. So we could triple the support for CleanBC by shifting all that fossil fuel support there.
Moreover, these supports are not popular with the public. As part of its 鈥淪top Funding Fracking鈥� campaign, the Dogwood Initiative recently released the results of a survey conducted by Insights West. The survey found 58 per cent of sa国际传媒 respondents are opposed to sa国际传媒 offering financial support to oil and gas companies, while 62 per cent would like to see subsidies reduced or 颅eliminated altogether.
So if sa国际传媒 really wants to be a climate leader, it needs to get serious with its CleanBC program, shift all its fossil fuel supports to low carbon solutions and stop funding fracking. Those would be good first steps in making peace with nature.
Dr. Trevor Hancock is a retired professor and senior scholar at the University of 颅Victoria鈥檚 School of Public Health and Social Policy.
