Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Commitments

The following profile those portions of each of the Premier of British Columbia’s (John Horgan’s) new Cabinet member’s Mandate Letters sent to Provincial Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries on November 26th, 2020 that highlight ‘climate change or environmental sustainability’ related commitments.

Beyond the dedicated issues being required of the appropriate Cabinet member, and the interconnections between agencies, it is noted for all of the Premier’s Cabinet:

“In 2018, our government launched our CleanBC climate action plan. CleanBC puts British Columbia on the path to a cleaner, better future by building a low-carbon economy with new clean-energy jobs and opportunities, protecting our air, land and water and supporting communities to prepare for climate impacts. It is every Minister’s responsibility to ensure your ministry’s work continues to achieve CleanBC’s goals.”

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Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training

Complete and implement the CleanBC Workforce Readiness Plan to train people for jobs in the low-carbon economy and help us meet our CleanBC commitments.

Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries

With support from the Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation, lead work to develop a new Regenerative Agricultural Network, which will create jobs for workers, opportunities for farmers and greater food security by bringing together natural systems of production with agri-technologies that enhance production.
Lead work with the federal government to develop new strategies to protect and revitalize B.C.’s wild salmon populations, including by working to double the size of the Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund, building on past successes and supporting innovation in fish hatcheries, and ensuring B.C. processing of B.C.-caught fish.
Work with the Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resource Operations and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to step up protection of fish habitat through our biodiversity strategy and the new Watershed Security Strategy.
Support the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to develop a new provincial coastal strategy – in partnership with First Nations and federal and local governments – to better protect coastal habitat while growing coastal economies.

Attorney General and Minister responsible for Housing

Build on our government’s work to require new buildings and retrofits to be more energy efficient and cleaner by supporting local governments to set their own carbon pollution performance standards for new buildings.
Bring in “right-to-charge” legislation that will enable installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in more strata and apartment buildings.

Minister of Education

Continue to invest in new and modernized schools, including focusing on meeting seismic requirements and climate change and energy efficiency standards as set out in our CleanBC plan.
To help make sure students are properly fed for learning, work with school districts to create more local school meal programs based on district data and priorities, and work with the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries to integrate Feed BC into this plan so that districts can include locally grown food.

Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation

Work with cabinet colleagues to advance clean economic opportunities and CleanBC goals as our government responds to and recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Accelerate the adoption of zero emission vehicles with income-tested rebates, new incentives for purchasing used electric vehicles and an expansion of the CleanBC Specialty-Use Vehicle Incentive program.
Increase vehicle charging capacity by providing additional incentives to expand home and workplace electric vehicle charging.
Enhance energy efficiency programs and incentives for residential and commercial buildings, including Property Assessed Clean Energy financing to help homeowners make energy-saving retrofits and repay the cost of them over time.
Establish the BC Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy to drive made-in-B.C. innovations such as carbon capture and storage and renewable fuels.
Undertake a review of oil and gas royalty credits to ensure they meet B.C.’s goals for economic development, a fair return on our resources and environmental protection.
Implement world-leading regulations and technologies to support detection and reduction of harmful methane emissions in the oil and gas sector.
Work with the federal government and BC Hydro to fast track the expansion of electrification by working with industries of all sizes across sectors to make it easier for them to go green.
Support the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to ensure owners of large industrial projects are bonded moving forward so that they – not B.C. taxpayers – pay the full costs of environmental cleanup if their projects are abandoned.

Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy

- Work with cabinet colleagues to advance clean economic opportunities and CleanBC goals as our government responds to and recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Begin the phase-out of single use plastics province-wide.

Keep BC on track to meet our 2030 greenhouse gas emissions target, set sectoral and interim targets, and legislate a new target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Work with government’s Climate Solutions Council and relevant industrial sectors to enhance CleanBC’s Program for Industry so that additional funding is available to support mines, pulp mills, oil and gas processing plants, and other industrial facilities in their efforts to reduce GHG emissions and move to cleaner operations.
Complete and coordinate implementation of a provincial Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy.
Accelerate the move toward a net-zero emission bus fleet powered by electrification, hydrogen fuel cell technologies, and other zero-emissions technologies, including supporting TransLink’s “aggressive” level plan.
Reduce congestion and make transit an option for more people by working with TransLink to improve and expand the network for people living in the Fraser Valley and Sea-to-Sky regions, including by expanding West Coast Express service.
With support from the Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, take steps to ensure owners of large industrial projects are bonded moving forward so that they – not B.C. taxpayers – pay the full costs of environmental cleanup if their projects are abandoned.
Continue to work with partners to protect species at risk and work collaboratively with other ministries to protect and enhance B.C.’s biodiversity.
With support from the Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resource Operations and the Parliament Secretary for Fisheries and Aquaculture, lead work to protect clean water, including through the creation of a Watershed Security Strategy and the associated Watershed Security Fund.

Support the Minister of State for Lands and Resource Operations’ work with neighbouring jurisdictions to cooperatively develop and invest in new strategies aimed at better protecting our shared wildlife and habitat corridors, including work to implement the Together for Wildlife Strategy.
Support the Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resource Operations to develop a new provincial coastal strategy to better protect coastal habitat while growing coastal economies.

Minister of Finance

Enhance the Treasury Board capital review process to ensure that public projects deliver on the priorities of government, including ensuring that projects are assessed based on their ability to, where possible, provide opportunities to create new child care spaces, use mass timber, include Community Benefit Agreements and assist in meeting our CleanBC targets.
Help more people make the switch to active transportation by removing the PST on e-bikes to make them more affordable.
Support the Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation to require realtors to provide energy efficiency information on listed homes to incent energy-saving upgrades and let purchasers know what energy bills they will face.

Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development

Support the Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resource Operations to create a new Ministry for Lands and Natural Resource Operations that will develop and implement land use policies that support B.C.’s goals for economic activity, environmental sustainability, and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
Implement the recommendations of the Old Growth Strategic Review in collaboration with Indigenous leaders, labour, industry, and environmental groups to protect more old growth stands – in addition to the 353,000 hectares protected in September 2020.
Plant more trees for a healthy industry and province and continue to make significant investments in forest health, wildfire protection, silviculture, and revitalizing our forests.
Champion innovation in our forestry sector that aligns with CleanBC objectives and improves sector efficiency.

Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resource Operations

With support from the Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, bring forward a plan to create a new Ministry for Lands and Natural Resource Operations that will develop and implement land use policies that support B.C.’s goals for economic activity, environmental sustainability and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
With support from the Parliamentary Secretary for Environment and the Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Aquaculture, lead work to develop a new provincial coastal strategy to better protect coastal habitat while growing coastal economies.
With support from the Parliamentary Secretary for Environment, lead work with neighbouring jurisdictions to cooperatively develop and invest in new strategies aimed at better protecting our shared wildlife and habitat corridors, including work to implement the Together for Wildlife Strategy.
In collaboration with Indigenous partners, communities and stakeholders continue to modernize land-use planning for B.C.s ecosystems, rivers, lakes, forests and provincial public land and waters.
Support the work of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to protect clean water, including through the creation of a Watershed Security Strategy and the associated Watershed Security Fund.
Support the work of the Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation to develop and coordinate implementation of an industrial and manufacturing strategy that supports CleanBC and our commitment to reconciliation, while generating cleaner, more innovative, value-added industrial activity across BC.

Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation

Facilitate partnership with First Nations around key decisions on regional land and resource use allocation through evolving shared decision making, building on the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, to provide a clear, stable and sustainable path for everyone to work together.
Support the work of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to reflect Indigenous peoples’ history and cultures in provincial parks and wilderness areas.

Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation

Work across ministries to lead the development and coordinate implementation of an industrial and manufacturing strategy that generates cleaner, more innovative, value-added economic activity across B.C., while supporting our commitments to reconciliation and CleanBC.
With support from the Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, boost B.C. as a global exporter of climate solutions by investing in B.C.-based carbon capture and storage and other low carbon technologies.
Launch a strategic investment fund to support our government’s objective of building a more innovative low-carbon economy by investing in high-potential B.C. businesses to help them scale up and grow here.
Support the work of the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries to move forward with the recommendations of the Food Security Task Force and develop a new Regenerative Agricultural Network, which will create jobs for workers, opportunities for farmers and greater food security by bringing together natural systems of production with agri-technologies that enhance production.

Minister of State for Trade

Develop and implement a new B.C. Trade Diversification Strategy that will help B.C. businesses build connections in new markets, increase exports and highlight B.C. as a low-carbon supplier.

Minister of Municipal Affairs

With support from the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, lead work on the Integrated Transportation and Development Strategy to ensure greater alignment between transportation and land-use planning.
Support the work of the Minister of Finance to establish Property Assessed Clean Energy financing.

Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure

Deliver better transit and transportation for the South Island, guided by the South Island Transportation Strategy.
Improve transit options for people in rural communities by expanding service for the successful BC Bus North program.
Work with communities to expand their networks of active transportation to meet our CleanBC goal of doubling trips taken by walking, biking and other kinds of active networks by the year 2030.
Continue the work to modernize the passenger directed transportation industry, supporting the Passenger Transportation Board in providing appropriate oversight and regulation, while ensuring accessible vehicles are available as needed.
Support the Minister of Municipal Affairs to work on the Integrated Transportation and Development Strategy to ensure greater alignment between transportation and land-use planning.

Minister of State for Infrastructure

Work with the TransLink Mayors’ Council through its 10-year planning process to continue work to extend the Millennium Line to Arbutus, with an eventual terminus at UBC, and ensure prompt design and construction of the Surrey-Langley Skytrain.
Work with cabinet colleagues, communities and regions to support the planning and development of key transit projects, like high-speed transit links for the North Shore and the expansion of rail up the Fraser Valley, which will bring cleaner transit, support economic growth and deliver more construction jobs for B.C. workers.

Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Aquaculture

Work with the Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resource Operations and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to step up protection of fish habitat through our biodiversity strategy and the new Watershed Security Strategy.
Support the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to develop a new provincial coastal strategy – in partnership with First Nations and federal and local governments – to better protect coastal habitat while growing coastal economies.

Parliamentary Secretary for Environment

Lead work with the Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation to reflect Indigenous peoples’ history and cultures in provincial parks and wilderness areas.
Support the Minister of State for Lands and Resource Operations’ work with neighbouring jurisdictions to cooperatively develop and invest in new strategies aimed at better protecting our shared wildlife and habitat corridors, including work to implement the Together for Wildlife Strategy.
Support the Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resource Operations to develop a new provincial coastal strategy to better protect coastal habitat while growing coastal economies.

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Mandate Letters have become a key kickoff for any new Administration. It is reasonable to assume that:

Their intent continues to be to primarily reiterate and precipitate/apportion (down to each Minister) the Administration’s electoral platform (i.e., Working for You)/principles transposed into understandable commitments at the ministry (or multi-ministry) level;
They are to be used as a checklist or screening for guiding ministry policy (including, where necessary, legislation; and to guide staff in writing briefing notes, Cabinet and Treasury Board Submissions) and, related to the latter, to explicitly rationalize their request for Cabinet approval and/or Treasury Board funding support;
Where applicable, performance measures and timelines would be developed for each of these commitments such that the Administration, ministry Executive and management can be guided and held accountable for results. Relatedly, they help to frame the text for Ministry Service Plans and Annual Reports;
The Letters can help to inform the content of public and/or stakeholder communications, and external stakeholders may use them to monitor the progress of the Administration’s own commitments and/or be used in future incoming correspondence and/or funding requests; and
The Letters could be used by external government stakeholders, such as universities and their partners, to seek provincial government support (e.g., funding, letters of support) for initiatives that align with these provincial priorities.

Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Commitments

Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries

Work with the Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resource Operations and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to step up protection of fish habitat through our biodiversity strategy and the new Watershed Security Strategy.

Support the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to develop a new provincial coastal strategy – in partnership with First Nations and federal and local governments – to better protect coastal habitat while growing coastal economies.

Attorney General and Minister responsible for Housing

Build on our government’s work to require new buildings and retrofits to be more energy efficient and cleaner by supporting local governments to set their own carbon pollution performance standards for new buildings.

Bring in “right-to-charge” legislation that will enable installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in more strata and apartment buildings.

Minister of Education

Continue to invest in new and modernized schools, including focusing on meeting seismic requirements and climate change and energy efficiency standards as set out in our CleanBC plan.

Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation

Work with cabinet colleagues to advance clean economic opportunities and CleanBC goals as our government responds to and recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Accelerate the adoption of zero emission vehicles with income-tested rebates, new incentives for purchasing used electric vehicles and an expansion of the CleanBC Specialty-Use Vehicle Incentive program.

Increase vehicle charging capacity by providing additional incentives to expand home and workplace electric vehicle charging.

Enhance energy efficiency programs and incentives for residential and commercial buildings, including Property Assessed Clean Energy financing to help homeowners make energy-saving retrofits and repay the cost of them over time.

Establish the BC Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy to drive made-in-B.C. innovations such as carbon capture and storage and renewable fuels.

Undertake a review of oil and gas royalty credits to ensure they meet B.C.’s goals for economic development, a fair return on our resources and environmental protection.

Implement world-leading regulations and technologies to support detection and reduction of harmful methane emissions in the oil and gas sector.

Work with the federal government and BC Hydro to fast track the expansion of electrification by working with industries of all sizes across sectors to make it easier for them to go green.

Support the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to ensure owners of large industrial projects are bonded moving forward so that they – not B.C. taxpayers – pay the full costs of environmental cleanup if their projects are abandoned.

Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy

Work with cabinet colleagues to advance clean economic opportunities and CleanBC goals as our government responds to and recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Begin the phase-out of single use plastics province-wide.

Keep BC on track to meet our 2030 greenhouse gas emissions target, set sectoral and interim targets, and legislate a new target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Complete and coordinate implementation of a provincial Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy.

Accelerate the move toward a net-zero emission bus fleet powered by electrification, hydrogen fuel cell technologies, and other zero-emissions technologies, including supporting TransLink’s “aggressive” level plan.

Reduce congestion and make transit an option for more people by working with TransLink to improve and expand the network for people living in the Fraser Valley and Sea-to-Sky regions, including by expanding West Coast Express service.

With support from the Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, take steps to ensure owners of large industrial projects are bonded moving forward so that they – not B.C. taxpayers – pay the full costs of environmental cleanup if their projects are abandoned.

Continue to work with partners to protect species at risk and work collaboratively with other ministries to protect and enhance B.C.’s biodiversity.

With support from the Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resource Operations and the Parliament Secretary for Fisheries and Aquaculture, lead work to protect clean water, including through the creation of a Watershed Security Strategy and the associated Watershed Security Fund.

Support the Minister of State for Lands and Resource Operations’ work with neighbouring jurisdictions to cooperatively develop and invest in new strategies aimed at better protecting our shared wildlife and habitat corridors, including work to implement the Together for Wildlife Strategy.

Support the Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resource Operations to develop a new provincial coastal strategy to better protect coastal habitat while growing coastal economies.

Minister of Finance

Help more people make the switch to active transportation by removing the PST on e-bikes to make them more affordable.

Support the Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation to require realtors to provide energy efficiency information on listed homes to incent energy-saving upgrades and let purchasers know what energy bills they will face.

Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development

Implement the recommendations of the Old Growth Strategic Review in collaboration with Indigenous leaders, labour, industry, and environmental groups to protect more old growth stands – in addition to the 353,000 hectares protected in September 2020.

Plant more trees for a healthy industry and province and continue to make significant investments in forest health, wildfire protection, silviculture, and revitalizing our forests.

Champion innovation in our forestry sector that aligns with CleanBC objectives and improves sector efficiency.

Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resource Operations

With support from the Parliamentary Secretary for Environment and the Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Aquaculture, lead work to develop a new provincial coastal strategy to better protect coastal habitat while growing coastal economies.

With support from the Parliamentary Secretary for Environment, lead work with neighbouring jurisdictions to cooperatively develop and invest in new strategies aimed at better protecting our shared wildlife and habitat corridors, including work to implement the Together for Wildlife Strategy.

In collaboration with Indigenous partners, communities and stakeholders continue to modernize land-use planning for B.C.s ecosystems, rivers, lakes, forests and provincial public land and waters.

Support the work of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to protect clean water, including through the creation of a Watershed Security Strategy and the associated Watershed Security Fund.

Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation

Facilitate partnership with First Nations around key decisions on regional land and resource use allocation through evolving shared decision making, building on the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, to provide a clear, stable and sustainable path for everyone to work together.

Support the work of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to reflect Indigenous peoples’ history and cultures in provincial parks and wilderness areas.

Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation

Work across ministries to lead the development and coordinate implementation of an industrial and manufacturing strategy that generates cleaner, more innovative, value-added economic activity across B.C., while supporting our commitments to reconciliation and CleanBC.

With support from the Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, boost B.C. as a global exporter of climate solutions by investing in B.C.-based carbon capture and storage and other low carbon technologies.

Launch a strategic investment fund to support our government’s objective of building a more innovative low-carbon economy by investing in high-potential B.C. businesses to help them scale up and grow here.

Minister of State for Trade

Develop and implement a new B.C. Trade Diversification Strategy that will help B.C. businesses build connections in new markets, increase exports and highlight B.C. as a low-carbon supplier.

Minister of Municipal Affairs

With support from the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, lead work on the Integrated Transportation and Development Strategy to ensure greater alignment between transportation and land-use planning.

Support the work of the Minister of Finance to establish Property Assessed Clean Energy financing.

Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure

Deliver better transit and transportation for the South Island, guided by the South Island Transportation Strategy.

Improve transit options for people in rural communities by expanding service for the successful BC Bus North program.

Work with communities to expand their networks of active transportation to meet our CleanBC goal of doubling trips taken by walking, biking and other kinds of active networks by the year 2030.

Continue the work to modernize the passenger directed transportation industry, supporting the Passenger Transportation Board in providing appropriate oversight and regulation, while ensuring accessible vehicles are available as needed.

Support the Minister of Municipal Affairs to work on the Integrated Transportation and Development Strategy to ensure greater alignment between transportation and land-use planning.

Minister of State for Infrastructure

Work with the TransLink Mayors’ Council through its 10-year planning process to continue work to extend the Millennium Line to Arbutus, with an eventual terminus at UBC, and ensure prompt design and construction of the Surrey-Langley Skytrain.

Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Aquaculture

Work with the Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resource Operations and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to step up protection of fish habitat through our biodiversity strategy and the new Watershed Security Strategy.

Support the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to develop a new provincial coastal strategy – in partnership with First Nations and federal and local governments – to better protect coastal habitat while growing coastal economies.

Parliamentary Secretary for Environment

Lead work with the Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation to reflect Indigenous peoples’ history and cultures in provincial parks and wilderness areas.

Support the Minister of State for Lands and Resource Operations’ work with neighbouring jurisdictions to cooperatively develop and invest in new strategies aimed at better protecting our shared wildlife and habitat corridors, including work to implement the Together for Wildlife Strategy.

Support the Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resource Operations to develop a new provincial coastal strategy to better protect coastal habitat while growing coastal economies.

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