Wilderness Committee says expanding fossil fuel exports is an abdication of responsibility and betrayal of future generations

VANCOUVER / UNCEDED xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh AND səlilwətaɬ TERRITORIES — Earlier this week the first liquified natural gas (LNG) tanker headed for Asia departed from the west coast of British Columbia near Kitimat. 

Loaded by LNG Canada Phase 1 — a provincially and federally-backed and subsidized fossil fuel export terminal  — this shipment signals a new and dangerous chapter for failed climate commitments in B.C. and Canada. LNG is a driver of emissions around the world, made up mostly of methane, an extremely potent greenhouse gas, extracted through the risky and water-intensive practice of fracking.

Studies from the United States and Australia show spikes in domestic energy prices once LNG exports begin. In some regions, prices doubled or even tripled. While its fate in B.C. is unclear, these patterns offer a warning: the BC NDP government is choosing a path that has proven to drive up household energy bills.

“Turning its back on our emissions targets and subsidizing the multi-billion dollar corporations that drive the climate crisis is reckless and irresponsible, and a terrible legacy Premier David Eby and his government have chosen for themselves,” said Climate Campaigner Isabel Siu-Zmuidzinas.

B.C. has long branded itself as a climate leader, yet LNG exports directly undermine Canada’s emissions targets. In addition to the climate impacts, expanding LNG and associated tanker traffic threatens marine ecosystems, Indigenous Rights and public safety along the coast. The B.C. government has the opportunity to stop expanding fossil fuel infrastructure and invest instead in renewable energy and long-term energy affordability.

“In the middle of summer, with heat waves and wildfires raging across the continent and around the world, we mark a devastating day as B.C. officially becomes a major exporter of the fossil fuels that drive these extreme events,” Siu-Zmuidzinas said. 

“The transition of B.C. from a self-declared climate leader to a confirmed climate pariah isn’t yet final – there’s still time for the NDP government to shift course and choose to discontinue or reject more destructive projects like the expansion of LNG Canada, Tilbury LNG, Ksi Lisims LNG and others,” she added.

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For more information, please contact:
Isabel Siu-Zmuidzinas | Climate Campaigner
781-572-2795, isabel@wildernesscommittee.org