Infrastructure Projects Act gives cabinet a blank cheque to disregard environmental and climate concerns, and ignore First Nations.

VANCOUVER / UNCEDED xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh AND səlilwətaɬ TERRITORIES — The Wilderness Committee is outraged at the rushed passage of Bill 15, the Infrastructure Projects Act, tabled by Premier David Eby’s NDP government earlier this month.

This legislation steamrolls over critical environmental assessments currently required for resource extraction projects in British Columbia. Premier Eby fast-tracked Bill 15 through the legislature, despite widespread opposition from First Nations, environmental organizations and the public.  

“Premier Eby claims Bill 15 reflects what people in B.C. need, but he has ignored the voices of First Nations, municipalities, environmental organizations and thousands of people who’ve spoken out against the bill in its current form. Instead of listening, his government has doubled down with disrespectful responses to the concerns and rushed the legislative process,” said Wilderness Committee Conservation and Policy Campaigner Lucero Gonzalez. “Passing Bill 15 is a shameful abandonment of the province’s responsibilities to environmental protection and Indigenous Rights — a betrayal dressed up as progress.”

Premier Eby and B.C. Minister of Infrastructure Bowinn Ma have said Bill 15 won’t be used to force through projects without consent from First Nations, nor used for pipelines or LNG terminals. But they have refused to make amendments to the Bill to put that commitment in writing. The Wilderness Committee argues these kinds of promises from the government are meaningless, pointing to its track record of acknowledging the need to stop expanding fossil fuel infrastructure while also approving new fracked gas export projects.

“We cannot take Premier Eby at his word when the legislation itself leaves the door wide open to destruction — especially for oil and gas projects,” Gonzalez said. “If the BC NDP government wanted to act in good faith, it would have given us clarity in the bill itself. Instead, Premier Eby has shattered any expectation the public should believe what he says.”

The Wilderness Committee has advocated for environmental protection for 45 years, participating extensively in environmental reviews and encouraging its supporters and concerned members of the public to do so as well. The group has called on the BC NDP to improve and strengthen environmental assessments and regulations, and decries Bill 15 as a massive step in the wrong direction.

“Environmental assessments are supposed to give the public, First Nations and environmental experts a chance to have their voices heard on major projects,” said Wilderness Committee Associate Director Torrance Coste. “Premier Eby is announcing, loud and clear, that no voices outside his own inner circle matter to him. It’s arrogant and undemocratic, and every BC NDP MLA should be ashamed today.”

The Wilderness Committee believes making environmental reviews more efficient means investing more in them, and increasing the budget and staff of agencies like the Environmental Assessment Office. The group also points to the lack of urgency on the NDP governments’ promises on the environment and climate, including the long-delayed Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework and the province’s failed plans to meet its own emissions reductions targets.

Premier Eby and Minister Ma have also claimed Bill 15 is necessary to accelerate economic growth and help protect B.C. against the impact of tariffs and other measures levied by U.S. President Donald Trump.

“Ignoring outstanding environmental commitments, undercutting public agencies and shifting power from public servants to politicians are all moves straight out of the Donald Trump playbook,” Coste said. “Doing exactly what Trump would do is not going to solve any of the problems we have here in B.C., and it’s infuriating that David Eby won’t see that.”

The Wilderness Committee will continue to monitor the B.C. government’s cuts to environmental oversight, and work with First Nations, community groups and the public to advocate for proper protections for ecosystems and the climate.

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For more information please contact:
Torrance Coste | Associate Director
250-516-9900, torrance@wildernesscommittee.org

Lucero Gonzalez | Conservation and Policy Campaigner
Email only: lucero@wildernesscommittee.org