VANCOUVER — Following tabling of today’s B.C. Budget 2021, the David Suzuki Foundation’s director general for Western Canada Jay Ritchlin said:

“The province is missing the opportunity to address the climate and biodiversity crises in its focus on pandemic recovery. As emissions continue to rise, spending lacks the ambition needed to address the true scope of the climate emergency. British Columbia’s position as a climate leader is starting to slip. On nature, this budget fails to address key issues like B.C.’s old-growth forestry crisis, with no funding to support the paradigm shift our forestry sector needs or to implement the Old Growth Strategic Review Panel recommendations, including Indigenous-led protected areas and conservation financing.

There are some silver linings, such as moves for further electrification of transportation, free transit for children 12 and under, and funding to revolutionize our understanding of the ocean and what drives ocean and climate variability. But overall, the balanced budget hinges on massive amounts of liquid fracked gas coming online in 2025 — another huge climate miss. This inadequate plan fails to seize this once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest boldly and strategically toward a green and just recovery from COVID-19 by spending on things like rapid transit, renewable energy, natural infrastructure and transitioning workers away from fossil fuel industries.”

Learn more about the Foundation’s call on B.C. to invest in a green and just recovery from COVID-19.

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For more information or a media interview, please contact:

Brendan Glauser, bglauser@davidsuzuki.org, 604-356-8829