The Province is considering recommendations for its climate policy framework based on an independent review of CleanBC. Key recommendations of relevance to local governments are to extend LGCAP, introduce greater flexibility in the building code, strengthen transit funding models, address rural connectivity gaps, and improve utility data‑sharing.
In November 2025, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Solutions released Rising to the Moment, the final report from an independent review of its CleanBC climate policy framework. The review assessed the effectiveness of CleanBC policies and programs and examined progress toward BC’s emissions reduction targets.
The report concludes that while some CleanBC programs are achieving program objectives – reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, improving community health, and lowering energy costs – BC is not on track to meet legislated greenhouse gas reduction targets.
The review also notes that climate impacts are intensifying, with communities facing rising costs from extreme weather, recovery and resilience needs. Economic and demographic pressures, including rapid population growth and affordability challenges, are also complicating the implementation of CleanBC measures.
To address these challenges, the report recommends seven priorities and 31 specific actions. The following analysis below outlines how the Province’s implementation of these recommendations could impact local governments.
Why is CleanBC under review?
The review was required by the BC NDP’s Cooperation and Responsible Government Accord with the Green Party of BC. The review focused on policies and programs related to emissions reductions, specifically: climate targets, climate policy, CleanBC programs, and CleanBC public reporting and accountability.
The review also addresses a requirement under BC’s Climate Change Accountability Act that Provincial climate targets be reviewed before the end of 2025. The most recent Climate Change Accountability Report projected that the BC will miss its 2025 interim emissions reduction target of 16% below 2007 emissions levels, and is not on track to achieve its more ambitious 2030 (-40%) and 2040 (-60%) targets.
What does this mean for local governments?
Local governments shoulder core responsibilities for greenhouse gas mitigation, climate change adaptation, land-use planning and enabling clean-energy infrastructure. BC local governments receive support from a range of CleanBC programs that support local infrastructure, services, and capacity that reduce carbon pollution, but also generates co-benefits for local economies, community health, and local ecosystems.
While many local governments champion local corporate and community climate action initiatives, many also raise concerns about a lack of alignment between Provincial targets and local authority, resources and capacity. Local governments have called for targets and accountability mechanisms that are more participatory and better integrated across orders of government (2021-EB39). Progress reporting should not only assess emissions outcomes but also track enabling conditions – such as the availability of low-carbon infrastructure, uptake of clean technologies, and community resilience indicators.
Three themes in the review are particularly relevant to local governments: Buildings and Communities, Transportation, and Governance and Partnerships.
Buildings and Communities
The report recommends continuing CleanBC policies and programs that support energy efficient building construction and low-carbon heating and cooling, while introducing greater flexibility for communities outside of BC’s warmer climate zones. Key recommendations include:
- Renew and expand the Better Homes and Better Buildings program, including incentives for high‑efficiency retrofits and 100%‑efficient heating and cooling equipment such as heat pumps.
Introduce regional flexibility into BC’s Energy Step Code and Zero Carbon Step Code, to simplify compliance and better reflect the realities faced by northern, rural, and remote communities, where climate, market conditions and capacity differ significantly.
The review calls for a standardized approach to low‑carbon retrofits, which continues to limit local governments' ability to advance emissions reductions in existing buildings. UBCM membership supports a standardized approach and robust incentives for low-carbon building retrofits (2023-EB21, 2022-EB31), and support for retrofit incentive programs was also a key recommendation in the UBCM Special Committee on Climate Action’s 2020 report.
Transportation
The report recommends maintaining core CleanBC transportation policies that support a shift away from internal combustion engine vehicles, while recalibrating targets and strengthening complementary investments in public and active transportation. Reviewers highlighted the following themes:
- Public transit. The review highlighted post-pandemic ridership growth, but noted both BC Transit and TransLink lack stable, enhanced funding to support expansion. Local governments have called for a sustainable, permanent funding framework to support increasing transit use and electrification (2024-EB84; 2022-NR57).
- Rural connectivity gaps. Stakeholders expressed disappointment that the Province has not delivered the long-promised Clean Transportation Action Plan,. Some noted need for strategies to expand transit within and between rural and remote communities, an ongoing concern for UBCM’s membership (2025-EB73; 2025-EB74, 2025-EB8, 2024-NR82)
- Active transportation. While the province committed $100 million over three years to active transportation infrastructure in 2023, municipalities and advocates say that funding is modest relative to need.
Governance and Partnerships
The review includes several recommendations to strengthen partnerships across governments and sectors, including specific recommendations regarding partnerships with local governments. Recommendation #6, “Deepen partnerships with First Nations and local governments”, proposes:
- Extend funding for the Local Government Climate Action Program (LGCAP) to maintain predictable, low‑barrier support for local climate initiatives.
- Provide a CleanBC implementation roadmap tailored to communities of different sizes.
- Require utilities and Crown corporations to share more detailed data on energy‑use and transportation with local governments.
The review also calls for expanded investment in workforce development to support building retrofits, clean‑energy system design, and low‑carbon construction, and highlights models such as the BC Youth Climate Corps supported by UBCM members (2025-EB46, 2024-EB-55).
What comes next?
The Province will review the CleanBC recommendations and determine next steps. For local governments, the outcomes of this process will have direct implications for funding, regulation, and long‑term planning across key areas of climate action – from building standards and retrofit programs, to transit investment, to data‑sharing and partnerships.
This review described local governments as essential implementation partners, but noted their capacity to deliver depends on clear direction, predictable funding, and regionally appropriate policies. The recommendations to expand LGCAP, introduce greater flexibility in the building code, strengthen transit funding models, address rural connectivity gaps, and improve utility data‑sharing all speak to the need for a more coordinated, collaborative approach.
As the Province works to update its climate policy framework, there is an opportunity to align provincial ambition with local authority and capability – ensuring that communities of all sizes have the tools, resources, and stable policy environment needed to reduce emissions and build resilience. A framework grounded in affordability, clean‑energy abundance, and shared responsibility can better support local governments as they continue to lead climate action on the ground and protect residents from escalating climate impacts.