Dan Fumano: 'B.C. and Washington are defeating Donald Trump,' governor says
Credit to Author: Dan Fumano| Date: Fri, 04 Oct 2019 05:46:36 +0000
SEATTLE — The leaders of B.C. and Washington state announced the launch of a clean energy working group Thursday, a cross-border effort they described as a reaffirmation of their shared commitment to being North American leaders on the climate change.
B.C. Premier John Horgan and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee unveiled the “joint clean grid initiative” at an appearance in Seattle at the Cascadia Innovation Corridor Conference. Inslee described it as an example of his government teaming up with Horgan’s to fight against what he called the U.S. federal government’s regressive approach on the environment.
“We have a current administration that has, at every chance they get, tried to damage the ability of Washington state to protect our state. They have tried to strip us of our ability to protect against pollution. … They’re trying to stop us from reducing dependence on fossil fuels, every chance they get,” Inslee told The Vancouver Sun in his offices in downtown Seattle. “Now, we have defeated them 21 times in a row in court. So they haven’t succeeded in stopping us, and our view is that Donald Trump cannot stop us from protecting our state because we’re going to continue beating him in court.”
“We are, essentially, allied with British Columbia, which wants to move forward on a clean energy agenda,” said Inslee. “This is a powerful alliance, it’s effective, and to a large measure, Donald Trump cannot stop us from doing these things. He tries, but he fails repeatedly. So that’s the good news: British Columbia and Washington state are defeating Donald Trump.”
B.C. Premier John Horgan and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, with their staffs, during a private meeting in Inslee’s office before a public appearance together at the 2019 Cascadia Innovation Corridor Conference. Submitted photo: Office of Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.
The joint clean grid effort will include bringing together a group of experts from government, industry, and research institutions from both B.C. and Washington, leading to “Clean Grid Summit” to be held next year. At that meeting, Washington and B.C. will share initial recommendations on how their jurisdictions can make the region’s energy use cleaner. Both jurisdictions are already pursuing electrification of their public sector vehicle fleets, giving incentive for the purchase of zero-emission vehicles, and amending building codes to improve energy efficiency.
The hope is that by sharing best practices and collaborating, both regions will be able to reduce emissions further, while generating growth of a lower-carbon economy.
“We want to share best practices of things that are working,” Inslee said. “We think we can learn from each other.”
Horgan said: “One of the biggest challenges for us as we address climate change is the aggressive electrification of our economies. Both jurisdictions are blessed with an abundance of hydroelectricity, but there are areas where we can bring on more renewables.”
The B.C. government hopes to burnish the region’s international reputation as what one official called a “clean power powerhouse.”
The hope is that with companies around the world giving more thought to their ecological footprint — and the reputation that comes with it — they may choose to source products and materials developed with cleaner energy. That could, the thinking goes, give B.C. and Washington a competitive advantage in the global market.
B.C. Premier John Horgan in the Seattle offices of Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.
After Inslee, a Democratic governor, criticized the Republican president’s record on climate issues, The Vancouver Sun asked what result in this month’s Canadian federal election he feels would augur well for the environment.
“We are very hopeful that Canada will make a decision for the federal leadership that will join Washington state and British Columbia in our fight against climate change,” Inslee said. Horgan has done an “extraordinarily great job” in both carbon pollution reduction and job creation, Inslee said, “so if he has a national partner to help him in that respect, that would be great.”
Canada’s major federal parties staked out their environmental policy positions in responses to a survey, released earlier this month, conducted by WWF-Canada and 13 other environmental organizations.
The first question asked: “Will you immediately legislate a climate plan that will reduce Canada’s emissions in line with keeping warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius?” The Liberals, NDP, Greens and Bloc Quebecois responded yes, the survey reported, while the Conservatives answered no.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee and B.C. Premier John Horgan in a public appearance together at the 2019 Cascadia Innovation Corridor Conference.
Horgan, the B.C. NDP leader, did not explicitly say what result he wanted in the Oct. 21 election, but said he believes the massive turnout in Canadian cities last week for the Global Climate Strike shows how crucial this issue is for voters.
“When I think of the hundreds of thousands of Canadians that took the streets last Friday right across the country, in support of action from this generation of politicians to ensure future generations have a world that is not on fire, I’m hopeful that the last couple weeks of the federal campaign will focus on these absolutely imperative issues,” Horgan said. “I think the first few weeks have been focused on style, personality and gaffes, rather than on the things British Columbians and Canadians really want to talk about.”