Chamber members have been clear that they believe Climate Action Leadership remains a priority. Even with ongoing economic uncertainty, the need for a livable planet is an existential threat that “trumps” other concerns.

“The Chamber has always called for innovation led by business as the key to mitigating climate change,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “There is opportunity for Greater Victoria, for British Columbia and Canada to help the world shift to sustainable energy policies.”

The need to think about emission reductions through the framework of real world applications is one reason the provincial government cited today in its announcement that it will conduct an independent review of CleanBC programs, which have supported industrial decarbonization and made it easier to purchase electric vehicles and access renewable power.

However, the province said it is not on track to meet its 2025 and 2030 climate targets.

The review will engage with Indigenous Peoples, local governments, industry and stakeholders throughout BC.

“We’ll be looking for ways Greater Victoria businesses can participate in this review,” Williams said, noting our region has been left vulnerable during recent climate events such as 2021’s fatal heat dome and atmospheric river floods. “Climate affects our food security, our supply lines and underpins our economy.”

The review is being undertaken one year ahead of schedule, as outlined in the 2024 Cooperation and Responsible Government Accord between the BC government and the BC Green caucus. The final report will be released publicly in late fall 2025.

A proposal to remove CO2 from the atmosphere and bury it safely in the seabed is one of the incredible examples of climate action leadership in Greater Victoria. The Solid Carbon project is being studied by Ocean Networks Canada and other world-renowned institutions.

The work was recently highlighted by the Times Colonist in a story reporting on a new study about carbon naturally stored in seabed sediments. The study concluded that it is vital to protect areas of the ocean floor that contain vast carbon deposits.

“We are an imperfect species. We do things to keep populations safe. In some ways, dredging is important to prevent ships from going aground and spilling oil,” ONC CEO Kate Moran told the Times Colonist. “But taking a precautionary approach, it would be useful to take a look at these activities and assess them for the risks and benefits — especially now that they’re identifying that we could be releasing carbon by some of these seafloor disturbances.”