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Dozens of climate groups call on B.C. government to halt LNG expansion
17/04/24
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Apr. 10, 2024
An open letter says plans for five new liquefied natural gas facilities do not align with global efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 C
Dozens of climate-action groups are calling on the B.C. government to halt plans to expand liquefied natural gas production because of the climate crisis.
In an open letter Wednesday to Premier David Eby and the energy and environment ministers, 88 groups argue that plans for five new LNG plants in B.C. do not align with global efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 C or to transition away from fossil fuels as agreed upon in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Some of the Canadian groups include the B.C. Wilderness Committee, Stand Earth, Greenpeace Canada, Council of Canadians, and Environmental Defence Canada. Several environmental groups from Washington state, Japan, South Korea and Indonesia have also signed the letter.
The letter contends that while U.S. President Joe Biden has paused approvals of LNG terminals, B.C. is allowing environmental reviews for the Ksi Lisims and Tilbury LNG projects to proceed without full consideration of the climate impacts. The province also recently approved Cedar LNG, while Woodfibre LNG and LNG Canada are under construction.
“Together these projects amount to nearly 50 million tonnes of proposed LNG exports and 30 megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in B.C. every year until long after the world needs to stop burning fossil fuels,” the letter states.
The groups argue that even if emissions are mitigated by using electricity from B.C. Hydro to power the liquefaction plants, the province would need more than eight new Site C dams worth of additional generation and transmission lines to these LNG plants.
“Gas is not a solution to climate change nor does it have any role to play in the global effort to reach net-zero emissions by 2050,” the letter states. “LNG will only prolong reliance on fossil fuels and make that commitment unattainable.”
On Friday, RBC Capital Markets said it expects Pembina Pipeline Corp. and its partner, the Haisla Nation of B.C., to green light the Cedar LNG project in Kitimat with a final investment decision soon.
The Woodfibre LNG project in Squamish has been approved by the federal and provincial governments as well as the Squamish Nation. A wrinkle in the project timeline has appeared, however, with the District of Squamish needing to give the go-ahead to the floating hotel to accommodate workers.
In January, a spokesperson for LNG Canada said a reliable source of responsibly produced energy should never be taken for granted.
“Canada’s lower carbon LNG will provide security of supply for global markets that can rely on our country’s natural gas reserves to advance their economies and reduce global GHG emissions, as natural gas replaces higher emitting sources of energy such as coal. With strong Indigenous participation and leadership, we feel that’s a very attractive value proposition,” LNG Canada said in the statement provided to Postmedia.
The province maintains the industry continues to provide economic benefits, such as jobs and skills training, new economic opportunities for First Nations, and tax and royalty benefits for B.C.
According to a B.C. government spokesperson, the province is focused on controlling emissions.
“By putting in place a cap on emissions – not production – we can provide certainty to industry on the investments needed to ensure it becomes more sustainable and efficient, while also creating new opportunities for people in clean energy and technology,” the spokesperson said.
“We continue to collaborate with the federal government as they work to implement an oil and gas emission cap regulation and we will implement a backstop regulation in the event that the federal cap is not implemented or cancelled.
“We are also committed to requiring all new LNG projects in or entering the Environmental Assessment process to be net-zero emission by 2030.”
-with files from The Canadian Press and David Carrigg
[Top: A photo taken on March 24, 2022 shows a LNG (liquefied natural gas) filling station for trucks in Dortmund in western Germany. PHOTO BY INA FASSBENDER / AFP]
