In 2018, the B.C. government gave out $830 million in fossil fuel subsidies, nearly the equal of its three-year budget for Clean BC.
B.C. is sabotaging its own Clean BC climate action plan.
According to the International Institute for Sustainable Development, Kitimat-based LNG Canada is a notable recipient of these subsidies. The B.C. government has already announced $5.3 billion in subsidies to LNG Canada, a consortium of multinational corporations including Royal Dutch Shell, Petronas and PetroChina Co.
According to another report, B.C.’s fossil fuel subsidies total more than our province’s housing budget in 2019, while outstanding royalty credits to fossil fuel producers amount to more than the $2.7 billion B.C. spent building new elementary and secondary schools in 2019.
Isn’t it time our government ended fossil fuel subsidies? We need real action on global climate change, such as investing in renewable energy, and a phasing out of fossil fuels altogether.
Sandra Hartline
Nelson