VICTORIA – The B.C. Liberal government has an opportunity to develop liquefied natural gas while safeguarding climate change commitments, but the time to act is now, say New Democrats.

A report from Clean Energy Canada suggests that strong policy leadership could dramatically reduce the carbon impact of the LNG industry, whereas the absence of such leadership means B.C. LNG production could emit three times the carbon pollution of current world-leading operations.

“We are at an important crossroads,” said New Democrat environment critic Spencer Chandra Herbert. “Premier Christy Clark promised British Columbians, during the election and since, that our LNG will be the cleanest in the world, but now we need a real commitment, not just good intentions.

With the government in negotiations with energy companies, the time to set out strategies that will limit the industry’s carbon footprint is today,” added Chandra Herbert. Strong action now could ensure the government keeps up not just with the world-class standards set by operations in Norway and Australia, but with targets legislated in its own Greenhouse Gas Reductions Targets Act.

“The decisions this government is making about how to manage this industry could impact generations of British Columbians,” said New Democrat natural gas development critic Robin Austin. “If there is the opportunity to minimize the impact that this industry will have on climate change and the impact it could have on industries like forestry and tourism, we need to seize that opportunity.”