‘Blueprint for BC’s Industrial Future’ Needs to Turn to Action to Attract Investment so British Columbians can Compete to Win in the Global Clean Economy

(Victoria, BC) In response to the BC Government’s release of Clean and Competitive: A
Blueprint for BC’s Industrial Future, Merran Smith, President of New Economy Canada
issued the following statement:

“The global shift to a clean economy is happening now and the race is on. BC’s new industrial blueprint identifies priority economic sectors with unique growth and job creating potential and rightfully acknowledges that clean power will be central to growing our global competitiveness. But we need to act now.

With investors around the world mobilizing quickly to put their dollars behind sectors powered by clean energy and technology, New Economy Canada urges the BC Government to build on this blueprint and be purposeful in developing, and putting in motion, investment attraction strategies – backstopped by provincial fiscal investments – that can be used to compete for and win new investments.

To attract capital, BC must outline a clear path for how key sectors will access reliable, clean power supply and the infrastructure they need, responsibly accelerate permitting, scale up First Nations’ participation as equity owners, and leverage private sector investment to fund bold projects that reduce emissions in hard-to-abate sectors that remain foundational to our provincial economy.

Looking ahead, New Economy Canada and its members look forward to working on the solutions that will help BC seize this generational economic opportunity and help build BC’s clean economy so that all British Columbians prosper.”