Cleaner industry

Reducing and storing industrial emissions

• As part of the Roadmap to 2030, all new large industrial facilities will be required to submit plans to achieve net zero emissions by 2050
• Industrial carbon capture and storage can keep large amounts of emissions out of the atmosphere by storing carbon underground or recycling it into cleaner energy. As part of the Roadmap to 2030, B.C. will develop a provincial approach to guide the deployment of these emerging technologies 

Industrial electrification

• Under the Clean Energy Act at least 93 percent of electricity generated in B.C. must be from clean or renewable sources. Under the Roadmap to 2030, B.C. will adopt a 100 percent Clean Electricity Standard. BC Hydro currently generates 98 percent clean electricity
• BC Hydro has completed the second phase of the Peace Region Electricity Supply project, increasing capacity to the South Peace region 
• BC Hydro and government are acting on recommendations under Phase 2 of the BC Hydro Review. This includes speeding up connections to the electricity grid and supporting the switch to clean power for more industries and businesses
• Government has formed a BC Hydro Task Force to provide strategic advice to government on ensuring reliable, affordable, and emissions-free energy

Reducing emissions from natural gas

• In 2020, new provincial regulations came into effect to reduce methane emissions in the upstream production of natural gas by 45 percent by 2025. As part of the Roadmap to 2030, B.C. will introduce stronger policies that will reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 75 percent by 2030 and nearly eliminate all industrial methane emissions by 2035
• Under the Roadmap to 2030, B.C. will introduce a cap on greenhouse gas emissions for natural gas utilities, encouraging new investment in low-carbon technologies and fuels as well as energy efficiency

Low carbon products and services

• B.C. offset projects are a way to invest in emission reduction projects that bring co-benefits and jobs to B.C. and accelerate the transition to a low carbon economy. Purchasers apply the reductions from these projects towards their own emissions targets              
• As part of the Roadmap to 2030, a new Forest Carbon Offset protocol will expand access to the carbon-offset market for Indigenous peoples and forest companies
• Budget 2023 announced the 2024 implementation of a new made-in-B.C. output-based pricing system (B.C. OBPS) which will continue to support significant emission reductions within the industrial sector while keeping businesses competitive. 

Increasing sustainable forest use

• B.C.’s Forest Carbon Initiative increases the use of residual wood, improves the use of forest fibre and promotes sustainable forestry. The program has led to an immediate reduction in emissions by diverting fibre that is typically burned
• Through its Wood First Initiative, B.C. is encouraging the use of wood and wood products for building. Wood buildings create fewer emissions and store carbon
• B.C. and partners are working to increase the use of mass timber, which can have lower emissions compared to concrete and steel construction. Through the Mass Timber Action Plan, the province is working to grow the industry, create good jobs and support communities by engaging with First Nations partners, training new workers, modernizing regulations, and profiling mass timber to national and global markets
• The Indigenous Forest Bioeconomy Program, partners with First Nations across B.C. to pursue projects that use wood waste or other parts of trees instead of petrochemicals or other high-carbon materials. Budget 2022 announced $22 million over three years to expand the program
• As part of the Roadmap to 2030, B.C. plans to eliminate nearly all slash pile burning by 2030

Preparing for climate impacts

• The Province is helping natural resource professionals manage for a changing climate by gathering and analyzing climate data, developing decision-making tools and researching best management practices
• B.C. uses climate-based seed transfer to choose tree seeds for reforestation that are from species well-suited to an area’s present and future climate

Building a resilient agriculture 
industry

• The Environmental Farm Plan Program helps agricultural producers decrease on-farm emissions and reduce climate risks, with cost-share funding for projects
• Through the Climate Change Adaptation Program, the Climate and Agriculture Initiative BC provides tools and resources to help the agricultural industry adapt to climate change
• The B.C. Food Security Task Force’s 2020 findings and recommendations report includes recommendations to establish B.C. as an agri-food leader 
• Through the Roadmap to 2030, B.C. will support research on agricultural carbon capture and storage and climate adaptation
• Seaweed is estimated to absorb three times as much CO₂ per hectare as forests. As part of the Roadmap to 2030, B.C. will support work by Indigenous cultivators and the aquaculture sector to explore the carbon storage potential of seaweed
• Budget 2022 announced $15 million over three years for the Beneficial Management Practices Program, supporting on-farm upgrades to sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture practices