Whereas the Province of BC has released the Clean BC Roadmap to 2030 outlining measures to reach its legislated greenhouse gas GHG emission reduction targets; And whereas zero-emission vehicles may not be a suitable alternative for remote rural resource based industries including forestry, oil and gas, and agriculture; And whereas public transit is not available in many rural and remote communities: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM lobby the provincial government to develop a Clean BC Transportation Plan specific to rural and northern communities that addresses the unique challenges and identifies how the GHG targets can be achieved.
Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation Government included a commitment to develop a Clean Transportation Action Plan CTAP in the CleanBC Roadmap to 2030 to outline the next steps to reducing emissions in transportation and work toward additional CleanBC transportation targets. This includes targets for increasing the percentage of trips made by walking, cycling and public transit, reducing the energy intensity of goods movement, and accelerating zero-emission vehicle ZEV sales targets for light-duty passenger vehicles while also developing requirements for commercial vehicles. CTAP is intended to be released in early 2024. The Province recognizes that Indigenous, northern, rural, and remote communities face different challenges, opportunities, and a different transportation landscape than urban and suburban areas. CTAP will include a dedicated section on considerations for Indigenous, northern, rural and remote communities. As policies are developed and implemented, some may first or only apply to larger, more urban communities. Other policies and programs may be developed specifically for Indigenous, northern, rural, and remote communities. To support clean transportation in northern and rural British Columbia, here are some actions already underway: - Support for the First Nations Low-Carbon Transportation Project, with the BC Assembly of First Nations which is working to accelerate access safe, affordable, and reliable low-carbon and active transportation. - Continued funding for rural transportation, including BC Bus North and the Northern Community Shuttle Program through 202627 funded by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. - The BC Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants Program provides enhanced funding levels for communities with smaller populations funded by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. - The Province is investing in capacity building programs such as the Go Electric Emotive and Community Outreach Incentive Program, and training for upskilling of automotive technicians. For example, the Go Electric outreach funding has supported videos on ZEV performance in northern climates and ride-and-drive events throughout northern B.C. Seven colleges around the province now offer training on ZEVs for automotive technicians, including the College of New Caledonia in Prince George, and the College of the Rockies in Cranbrook. - In the Roadmap to 2030, the Province committed to complete the Electric Highway in 2024, enabling ZEVs to travel every highway and major road in the province. Approximately 79 of the Electric Highway is now complete, and plans are in place for the remaining stations to be complete in 2024. - The Province is also working with other levels of government, utilities, and industry to meet the Roadmap goal to have 10,000 public charging stations across the province by 2030. - Lastly, in response to input received from northern communities, the ZEV Act also allows for the sale of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to count towards the legislated ZEV requirements, even in 2035 and beyond. This provides an option to British Columbians for whom range and charging might still be barriers.