BC’s forests are in crisis. The sharp increase in wood pellet exports to Japan is fueling the loss of BC primary forests. The indicators of unsustainable demand are evident, and without proper reforms, we are looking at lasting and devastating consequences for BC forests and the collapse of the ecosystems they sustain.
Environment and sustainability
Data sent anonymously to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives shows that Ministry of Forests officials have rejected numerous recommendations made by an expert panel appointed by the provincial government to guide it in protecting more old growth forests in the province.
VANCOUVER — Canada faces daunting—but not insurmountable—challenges to meet its net-zero commitments, but government policies and incentives must match the severity of the issue in order to drastically reduce emissions to address climate change, a new Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, BC Office report shows.
Despite the formidable challenges ahead, Canada’s path to net-zero is achievable with a clear, actionable plan that recognizes the scale of the undertaking and the limitations of potential solutions. This report underscores the need for a comprehensive strategy with practical, scalable solutions and a robust policy framework that will steer Canada toward a sustainable, net-zero future by 2050.
Key conclusions and recommendations include:
Farewell from Shannon Daub
How to meet Canada’s 2030 climate targets
Fires & migrant farmworkers
COVID-19’s growing toll on hospitals and public health
Assessing the new protections for platform workers
BC can afford more investments in social and environmental priorities
Donor spotlight: Kirsten Krismer
The CCPA-BC’s 2023 gala
Previously published in the Winnipeg Free Press Feb 3, 2024
Many will have seen the Manitoba Mining Association’s sophisticated ad campaign portraying minerals, such as lithium, cobalt and nickel as energetic, elegant and, let’s face it, beautiful, people. It’s a clever tactic to humanize so-called “critical minerals” required for green tech development. Lithium, for example is key for electric vehicle batteries, copper for wiring, nickel for electronics and so on.
An American company wanted to build a massive fossil fuel project in Quebec. After full public debate, the provincial and federal governments rejected the plan based on environmental concerns. The company launched a record-breaking trade lawsuit against Canada—confirming the dire threat that investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) poses to bold climate action.
OTTAWA—Ruby River Capital’s $20 billion USD NAFTA challenge to Quebec’s decision to deny the firm’s controversial liquefied natural gas (LNG) project exposes the dire threat that investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) poses to climate action, says a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
BC’s carbon crossroads: The Energy Action Framework takes the wrong path
Taxing land wealth for the public good: Provincial policy options
Here’s how BC should protect app-based workers
British Columbia’s regulation of dikes full of leaks and in need of overhaul
Landmark health care case spotlights problems of a profit-centred system
Some important updates from our team at CCPA-BC
2023 Gideon Rosenbluth Memorial Lecture with Ha-Joon Chang
Save the date for our annual in-person gala: Nov. 23, 2023
VANCOUVER - The BC government failed to act decisively when told that dikes in one of the cities hit hardest by the November 2021 floods were at risk of failing due to years of neglect, new research by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, BC shows.