Climate Action Plan
Fundamental Goals of Our Climate Action Plan
Our Climate Action Plan involves making meaningful progress
Alleviation of poverty in First Nations communities by implementing innovative climate policies and investments that:
Expand opportunities for First Nations to participate in globally competitive economic developments by leveraging and accelerating climate solutions projects.
Advance the innovative technologies and climate policies that are becoming instrumental in our shift to a decarbonized future locally and globally.
Attract domestic and international investment in nature‑based solutions in First Nations’ territories; simultaneously recovering the capacity of ecosystems to support traditional values while protecting and expanding carbon sinks.
Making a locally and globally significant contribution to climate change mitigation and adaptation by implementing innovative climate policies and investments that:
Leverage our low carbon advantages and emerging zero and negative emissions energy systems to build energy and resource projects that are global leaders in carbon management.
Provide the infrastructure to more rapidly advance a decarbonized economy here in Canada while exporting resources and systems to the countries that will collectively have the largest positive impact on the climate.
Include seeking partnerships with counterparts in Asia and other high GHG emission regions to assist them in reducing their GHG profile thereby expediting achievement of net-zero and negative emissions as the key strategy for recovering the climate globally.
The 7 Key Initiatives
Expand Carbon Markets
Advocate for high-quality carbon offsets and trading to drive investment into nature-based climate solutions.
Problem: High quality carbon offsets and carbon trading doesn’t exist in BC as it does in other jurisdictions. Expanding the carbon market would channel hundreds of millions of dollars of investment into nature-based climate solutions developed by First Nations to protect and restore ecosystems in their territories.
Solution: Ensure the new forest carbon offset protocol in BC facilitates investment in forest carbon projects and that these investments are part of the carbon tax compliance system, enabling carbon tax dollars to be directly invested in forest carbon projects.
Invest in Energy Transmission and Renewable Energy
Upgrade infrastructure to boost renewable energy capacity and support decarbonization.
Problem: The northwest power grid in BC is lacking in capacity and redundancy which is essential for the future decarbonized economy.
Solution: Provincial and federal governments need to proactively invest in expansion of the BC NW transmission grid. FNCI Nations and other affected Nations need to be co-owners of the project that is in their territories and benefit from this infrastructure.
Incentivize Low Carbon and New Energy Systems
Increase tax incentives and government investment for low carbon and negative emission energy projects.
Problem: Climate smart technologies will not make a difference in the world if they are too expensive. We are behind other jurisdictions that are taking significant steps with public investments to accelerate the transition and make new technologies more competitive – paying off with long-term dividends for their economies and the climate.
Solution: Implementing additional tax incentives and directing government funding for developments that are part of global emission reduction strategies will reward innovation. This includes expedited approvals for projects that have proactively engaged First Nations as partners and have addressed climate recovery and other environmental imperatives.
Expedite First Nations Equity
Support First Nations’ investment in infrastructure, enabling significant equity partnerships in a low carbon economy.
Problem: The massive shift that is required to decarbonize the economy needs to occur in partnership with First Nations – ‘decarbonization and decolonization are two sides of the same coin.’
Solution: To achieve this, First Nations equity participation in public and private infrastructure projects needs to be expedited.
Fast Track First Nations' Climate Solutions Projects
Streamline approvals for projects led or partnered by First Nations that contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation.
Problem: Climate change is now a crisis and we need to act decisively and quickly to shift to a decarbonized future.
Solution: Fast track First Nations’ climate solutions projects.
Act Globally, Benefit Locally
Leverage Canadian resources to assist global emission reduction efforts, emphasizing fuel switching from coal to cleaner alternatives.
Problem: Canada only accounts for emission reductions within its borders yet we can, and should, increase our emission reduction ambitions in a global context by continuing to decarbonize the extraction and production of our natural resources and exporting these resources to lower emissions elsewhere.
Solution: We need to help other countries decarbonize because many of our natural resource exports have a smaller carbon footprint than the same products from other places. Supporting partnerships between Canadian suppliers and buyers in Asia to accelerate emission reductions whether Canada gets credit or not, can decrease emissions globally by leveraging Canada’s low carbon advantage.
Aim for a Recovering Climate
Invest in technologies and projects that lower atmospheric GHG concentrations, promoting a shift towards net-zero and negative emissions.
Problem: Net-zero isn’t the goal, we need to aim for climate recovery.
Solution: Expand federal and provincial climate policies to include recovering the climate by reducing concentrations of GHGs in the atmosphere through development and implementation of negative emission natural and technological climate solutions.
Explore the Full
Climate Action Plan
Dive deeper into our comprehensive strategies and initiatives designed by First Nations who are leading the way in climate change mitigation. Click below to access the full details of our action plan.
