British Columbia Regional Energy and Resource Table Collaboration Framework Aligns with Province's Climate Goals

CleanBC is British Columbia’s plan to lower climate-changing emissions by 40 percent by 2030. The CleanBC Roadmap to 2030 lays out how those targets will be met and includes a broad suite of policies and programs to incentivize innovation in the transition to net zero. 

The Government of British Columbia, the Government of Canada, and First Nations in British Columbia have significant alignment on strategic economic and clean growth goals in the drive toward a low-carbon economy. The British Columbia Regional Energy and Resource Table Framework for Collaboration on the Path to Net Zero (Collaboration Framework) will further the province’s efforts to reduce emissions while advancing British Columbia’s competitive advantage and ensuring that Canada can respond to the global demand for clean investment. 

The Government of British Columbia is already making significant investments, including:

• B.C. is moving forward with a call for new sources of renewable, emissions-free electricity to power British Columbia’s growing clean economy. The province is providing $140 million to the B.C. Indigenous Clean Energy Initiative to support Indigenous-led power projects, create economic opportunities for First Nations and advance community self-determination.

• The Innovative Clean Energy Opportunities initiative, which supports collaboration between First Nations rights-holders, leadership and organizations and the province to position First Nations to fully participate in current and future opportunities in the clean energy sector.

• The Innovative Clean Energy Fund, which supports emerging technologies that advance the province’s clean energy and environmental priorities.

• A broad range of CleanBC incentive and financing programs and regulatory frameworks that support British Columbians to make cleaner and more efficient energy choices for their homes and transportation needs.

• In BC, a Crown corporation responsible for a $500 million strategic investment fund. InBC invests with other interested parties in innovation to catalyze a sustainable and inclusive future in B.C.

• The CleanBC Industry Fund; a program that takes a portion of the carbon tax paid by heavy industry and invests it back into businesses that demonstrate they can reduce their emissions with cleaner technology. The CleanBC Industry Fund has recently completed a fourth intake, which will provide close to $90 million in additional funding from the province for 41 new projects.

• The Community Energy Diesel Reduction Program – an additional $30 million doubles the province’s investment to support remote Indigenous communities to reduce diesel use.

• Additional funding this year to support commuters and industry to transition to zero-emission vehicles: 

  • $26 million for light duty vehicle charging under the CleanBC Public Charging program; 

  • $19.5 million for medium and heavy-duty charging under the CleanBC Public Charging program; 

  • $17.3 million under the CleanBC go electric program; and 

  • $30 million toward the Commercial Vehicle Innovation Challenge, which supports accelerating zero-emission vehicle technology from the idea stage to market.

These programs align with federal investment programs like the Strategic Innovation Fund and the Clean Fuels Fund. British Columbia is working with the Government of Canada through the Regional Table to leverage these programs in support of provincial priorities to meet legislated emissions-reduction targets.

By focusing on seizing economic opportunities from industrial decarbonization and energy transformation, the Regional Table will also help advance British Columbia’s emissions-reduction goals through:

• Electrification, including assessing options for significant transmission infrastructure expansion and end uses in buildings and transportation, which can provide key decarbonization opportunities. 

• Critical minerals, which are essential components of emerging technologies that will run our low-carbon future, including electric vehicles and batteries, wind turbines and solar power. British Columbia is investing $6 million over the next three years to continue to develop a critical minerals strategy. 

• Seizing the opportunity for provincial and First Nation leadership on clean fuels like hydrogen and leveraging the forest bioeconomy.

• Advancing the goals of the recently announced new Energy Action Framework, including to electrify British Columbia’s economy and industry through a newly established BC Hydro Task Force.

• Carbon management. With its unique geographic features and innovative industry, British Columbia can be a leading jurisdiction in carbon management. This will further support the CleanBC Program for Industry, which incentivizes industrial emissions reductions while providing new opportunities and a larger market for British Columbia’s cleantech sector.
  

More information on CleanBC can be found at https://cleanbc.gov.bc.ca/