Thread by @AnjaliApp

Today, in front of the famous unmoored barge that drifted across the Burrard Inlet during the unprecedented atmospheric river last November, & under smoke-choked skies, we announced the second plank of our New Deal for BC: our Healthy Climate Plan. 🧵/1

We are seeing - in real time - the staggering & escalating cost of climate inaction. It’s hard to imagine the world we are leaving behind for future generations if we do not act with urgency to tackle the most defining struggle of our time: the climate emergency. /2

Getting here was a series of policy choices - and now we can make different choices that are bolder, more ambitious, and driven by a need for collective, emergency-level action. /3

BC has an historic opportunity to invest in an ambitious response to the climate crisis that also improves community health, makes life more affordable, and builds our collective resilience. Our roadmap for climate action makes a bold proposal to do exactly this. /4

One of our first steps will be to introduce a Green Job Guarantee program to offer all BC-ers good, unionized green jobs retrofitting our homes, operating rapid transit, restoring natural ecosystems, installing heat pumps, & performing essential low-carbon care work. /5

We will introduce an historic wave of actions to rapidly shift towards zero-carbon communities by introducing a zero-carbon building code & create a new crown corporation that will mobilise workers to retrofit all existing buildings across the province by 2050 or sooner. /6

Fossil fuel dependence has shown us time & again that both people & the planet lose when we allow corporations to hold the reins of our energy system. We will ensure all new electricity projects deliver low-cost, renewable electricity that brings direct benefits to communities./7

Free universal transit isn’t just a solution for targeting BC’s transportation sector, which is our largest source of emissions. It is an investment in equity, accessibility, & economic justice. It's a model that has seen tremendous success worldwide. We will bring it to BC. /8

We will fully implement the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) by creating a robust plan for resourcing Indigenous-owned and Indigenous-led solutions to the climate emergency and removing all roadblocks to ensuring Free, Prior and Informed Consent. /9

This is an intergenerational fight. We will introduce a provincial Youth Climate Corps. Any high school grad under 30 will be offered a 2-year paid position through this program. After 2 years at the YCC, the province will waive their tuition for any BC post-secondary program./10

On our watch, we will wind down the amount of public funds that go towards lining the pockets of Big Oil. Moreover, we will make sure that fossil fuel companies pay up their fair share to help us recover from the damage they have caused. /11

Our plan will protect biodiversity by protecting old-growth forests—the ancient, life-giving trees that breathe life into our province. We will build resilience for the future by building climate-safe, decent, affordable housing for all, & we will decolonize disaster response./12

This plan represents a significant investment. But the costs of inaction will be far higher. Bold & visionary climate action today will also create tens of thousands of good jobs while saving lives & building community resilience for the future. /13 #bc #climate #bcpoli #bcndp

I look forward to digging into the details of our Healthy Climate policy together. And to rolling up our sleeves and getting to work. Transformative change is never easy, but it's always worth fighting for. #bc #climate /14

Healthy Climate policy brief:
cooool.io/eCDMliU