Environment & Climate Change

The Province is seeking feedback on a proposal that could expand food processing activity within British Columbia’s Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR). The Ministry of Agriculture and Food has released a discussion paper proposing a new “5% rule” that would allow certain food processing facilities to be developed on lower-capability ALR lands without Agricultural Land Commission approval, provided at least five percent of the product being processed is grown or raised in B.C. 

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has announced amendments to the Authorizations Concerning Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Regulations that will take effect on October 15, 2026. Local governments with public works projects that may require Fisheries Act approvals should review these changes. 

The Ministry of Water, Lands and Natural Resources will hold an online engagement session on July 16, 2026, 1-3pm, for local governments about a suite of initiatives underway to update natural resource permitting processes in British Columbia. 

On June 15, the Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions and BC Hydro announced a new long-term strategy to address increasing electricity demand. Powering Growth, Fueling Opportunity outlines the Province’s response to projected increases in electricity demand of 20% by 2030 and a 50% by 2050, including a 44% increase in peak demand. The plan aims to meet this increased demand through three approaches: 

As local governments are preparing annual budgets, they should be aware that the Local Government Climate Action Program (LGCAP) has not been renewed in the Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions 2026/27 service plan. This program has provided funding for local climate resiliency work, and has been a reliable, long-term source of operational funding. 

As part of the ongoing Environmental Assessment Act (EAA) review, the Environmental Assessment Office is proposing an expedited pathway for Provincially designated projects under the Infrastructure Projects Act. The proposal is intended to support the Province’s broader effort to streamline approvals for natural resource and infrastructure projects, with implications for local government roles and community engagement. 

The provincial Cabinet has approved regulatory amendments to the Water Sustainability Regulation and Riparian Areas Protection Regulation as part of a broader initiative to update natural resource permitting processes.

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.

On November 4, the Province released its British Columbia Disaster and Climate Risk and Resilience Assessment (DCRRA) report. The report assesses how communities across BC may be impacted by six hazards: riverine flooding, coastal flooding, extreme heat, wildfire, drought and water scarcity, and earthquakes. It also examines how these hazards may change with climate impacts, and how they may affect natural and built environments, the economy, governance and health.

In recent correspondence with UBCM, the Province has signalled its intention to add single-use fuel canisters, fire extinguishers and medical sharps to its Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program. However, the update will not include industrial, commercial and institutional packaging and paper products (ICI-PPP), and the Province has also reversed its earlier commitment to include mattresses.