Fort St. John chamber requests pause on B.C.’s proposed emissions cap

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The Fort St. John and District Chamber of Commerce is calling for a pause on B.C.’s proposed emissions cap for the energy sector.

The local chamber of commerce’s CEO, Kathleen Connolly, sent a letter to B.C. Premier David Eby and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, George Heyman, on Monday.

The chamber is also requesting consultation with impacted communities and stakeholders.

The B.C. government has released several policies in 2023 that Connolly says will impact B.C.’s economy and business.

“The impacts are much more significant on the oil and natural gas sector with a proposed regulated emissions cap that applies to the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors, including LNG,” Connolly wrote.

She says the policies may set back global emission reduction opportunities, harm B.C. economically, and lead to lower or no natural gas production in the province, impacting businesses and jobs in northeast B.C.

In July 2023, the provincial government released the B.C. Oil and Gas Emissions Cap Policy Paper. The government said it would engage with many people groups of people to build input on the policy design considerations.

Connolly says many in northeast B.C. have not been consulted regarding the policy, even though the economy in the region would be significantly impacted.

“Considering the lack of economic pathways to achieve this level of emission reduction within a short timeframe, these policies, as pointed out by a third-party analysis, could act as an indirect production cap on the B.C. industry,” Connolly wrote.

She said putting a cap on one sector of the economy “is inequitable and inefficient” and will increase the cost of emission reductions, making energy less affordable, especially in regions that can’t easily switch home heating methods.

“We urge the government to review these policies and consult meaningfully with all parties to create a plan that ensures this industry will be a part of British Columbia’s economy well into the future,” Connolly wrote.

The full letter can be found below: