B.C.’s Net-Zero New Industry Policy: What’s Changed Since 2023
When B.C. released its Net-Zero New Industry Intentions Paper back in 2023, the proposal was clear: new large industrial facilities would need a credible plan to reach net-zero by 2050, LNG facilities by 2030, and the whole thing would be delivered through amendments to the Greenhouse Gas Industrial Reporting and Control Act (GGIRCA).
The policy is now in place but not the way it was proposed
The 2023 paper anticipated GGIRCA amendments, with legislation expected in Spring 2024. That’s not how it was ultimately delivered.
Instead, the Net-Zero New Industry policy was implemented administratively, through:
- A direction under s. 19(6) of the Environmental Assessment Act, requiring the policy to be considered within the EA process, rather than through new GGIRCA legislation.
- The Climate Action Secretariat’s Net-Zero Plan guidance, which is now the operative document for proponents.
Who it applies to:
- Projects expected to emit more than 10,000 tonnes of CO₂-equivalent per year.
- Non-LNG industrial projects: credible plan to reach net-zero by 2050.
- LNG facilities: handled separately.
The big change: LNG’s 2030 target got softer
The original policy required all proposed LNG facilities to have a credible plan to hit net-zero by 2030, largely by plugging into B.C.’s clean electricity grid.
A ministerial letter dated March 21, 2025 changed the picture:
- Where an LNG facility depends on grid electricity and can’t be connected by 2030 for reasons beyond its control, its plan can instead demonstrate “net-zero readiness.”
- This flexibility comes with conditions and interim offset requirements.
- Emissions not tied to electricity supply, like flaring and transportation, are still expected to reach net-zero by 2030.
The bottom line
- The 2023 intentions paper is out of date on two key points: the policy runs through the EA Act, not GGIRCA amendments, and the LNG 2030 deadline now allows a “net-zero ready” pathway.