For British Columbia to meet its emissions targets and not perpetuate the climate crisis, it must phase out its fossil fuel industries by mid-century. This means strategically and thoughtfully planning for the coming energy transition, including full decarbonization of the economy by 2050 and a fair transition for workers and resource-dependent communities.
The report outlines a four-part framework for a managed wind-down in BC, which must be planned with First Nations, to phase out fossil fuel industries over the next 20 to 30 years.
Governments and industry must engage in an honest conversation about what’s needed to get to net-zero emissions by mid-century, rather than focussing on extracting and exporting as much fossil fuels as possible, the report says. The proposed wind-down approach is informed by climate justice and just transition, and the authors explain that the path forward must ensure that no one—in particular workers and communities in existing fossil fuel sectors—is left behind.
This research was supported by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).
Author: Marc Lee and Seth Klein
Marc Lee is a Senior Economist at the CCPA’s BC Office and a co-investigator with the Corporate Mapping Project (CMP). Marc is Co-Director of the Climate Justice Project, a research partnership with UBC’s School of Community and Regional Planning that examines the links between climate change policies and social justice.
Seth Klein is a research associate with and the former Director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, BC Office. His research deals primarily with welfare policy, poverty, inequality and economic security. A social activist for over 30 years and a former teacher, Seth holds a BA in international relations, a BEd from the University of Toronto and an MA in political science from Simon Fraser University.
