Northwest Institute for Bioregional Research

Report: BC LNG Proposals and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

With an increasing number of LNG projects being announced on B.C.’s coast, it is important to balance the economic arguments of these announcements with the associated risks. The emissions from LNG projects and the impact to B.C.’s climate targets are still unclear, but based on initial modeling done by the Pembina Institute using projected volumes of LNG, it is clear that even modest development will have a material impact to the overall emissions in the province. Three questions are addressed in this memo to provide context to the LNG debate and attempt to quantify the impacts based on currently available information.

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About our region

Northwest British Columbia is a vast, sparsely populated region where rural communities and small cities co-exist with intact wilderness ecosystems. It is the home to numerous First Nations, none of whom have ceded their terrritories to the crown. Three major wild salmon rivers -- the Nass, Skeena and Stikine -- flow through the region to the Pacific Ocean. The region’s abundant natural resources have led to a series of large-scale industrial proposals over the decades, including salmon farms, pulp mills, mines, hydro projects and oil and gas pipelines.