The B.C. government has launched a review of a program containing several of its flagship climate policies, a move it says comes on the back of a growing population and floundering efforts to reduce the province’s emissions.
Last week, the province released a report indicating B.C. is on track to meet only half of its 2030 target to lower greenhouse gas emissions. B.C. has also recently announced a pause in its electric vehicle rebate program, which is housed under the umbrella of the CleanBC program now under review.
“This review is about making sure our plan is focused, effective and delivering the outcomes we need — for our economy, our communities and the future we all share,” said Energy Minister Adrian Dix in a statement Wednesday.
“We’re building on the progress CleanBC has made, while being honest about where we need to go further.”
Reviewing CleanBC was a key component of a four-year supply-and-confidence agreement the B.C. NDP government signed with the Green Party in December 2024.
Merran Smith and Dan Woynillowicz, two independent climate policy experts, have been selected to lead the review.
Smith founded the green think tank Clean Energy Canada, and led it for nine years while serving as a senior fellow at Simon Fraser University. In 2023, she became president of New Economy Canada, a non-partisan initiative involving 60 companies, industrial sector associations, and labour and Indigenous organizations aiming to accelerate investment in Canada's clean economy.
In the past, Smith has served on BC Hydro’s board of directors and B.C.’s Climate Solutions Council, a government advisory body made up of representatives from industry, non-profits and researchers.
Woynillowicz spent seven years with Clean Energy Canada. He has served as an external advisor on a BC Hydro task force set up to improve permitting and delivery of infrastructure, while modernizing regulations to better protect ratepayers, according to his LinkedIn page.
For the past five years, Woynillowicz served as the board chair for the B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy. Over that same period, he has been the principal at Victoria-based Polaris Strategy, his strategic advisory firm that helps clients find opportunities in the green economy, according to its website.
In a press release, the province said the review will involve consultation with First Nations, local governments, the Climate Solutions Council, industry and stakeholders throughout B.C.
According to the government, the two experts have been tasked to assess how well existing programs and policies are working. They will also examine the province’s climate targets and recommend improvements.
The final report is expected to be released in late fall 2025.
Jeremy Valeriote, interim BC Green leader, and MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky, said the review is critical to improving climate action in B.C.
“We need to be clear-eyed about what’s working, what isn’t, and how we can move faster toward a low-carbon, sustainable future for everyone in this province,” he said in a statement.
