The NOW asked each Burnaby candidate to answer 10 questions ahead of the provincial election on Oct. 19.
We will be publishing candidate answers by question daily.
Answers by candidates who participated are listed in alphabetical order by surname.
Question: Do you believe that climate change is a threat? If so, what will you do to address it? If elected, what information will you base your climate policy on?
Reah Arora - BC NDP (Burnaby East)
Climate change is an existential threat to our communities and we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the land, air and water. The heat dome, atmospheric rivers, and the worst fire season on record are examples of the extreme weather long-predicted by climate scientists impacting us right here in BC. This has not only cost us billions of dollars, it has cost lives.
SFU is home to dozens of experts in climate science and engineering who dedicate their time to both studying the climate crisis and coming up with solutions. Indigenous nations are also experiencing some of the most dramatic impacts. I’ll base my information on the science, informed by the experience of those impacted.
Our CleanBC plan was developed with the Green Party and is the most ambitious on the continent. We must work towards a just transition that does not leave workers behind, with investments in retraining for new opportunities in clean energy and technology.
This plan also includes passing the Climate Change Accountability Act, which legally mandates government accountability for emission reduction targets. Additionally, we are bringing in an emissions cap for the oil and gas industry. To help families become sustainable, we are offering rebates for heat pumps, electric vehicles, and home efficiency upgrades. These initiatives are proving successful – BC’s emissions have decreased despite a growing population. But there is much more to be done, and we intend to follow the science.
Simon Chandler - Conservative Party of BC (Burnaby East)
A BC Conservative government would advance alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, and nuclear where practical to reduce carbon emissions. Our climate policy will be based on facts supported by scientific literature.
Meiling Chia - Unaffiliated (Burnaby South-Metrotown)
I view climate change as an urgent and immediate threat. The effects are evident not only around the globe but also in our own backyards here in British Columbia. It's essential that we understand our carbon footprint and explore environmentally responsible strategies to address this pressing issue. If elected, I will collaborate with my colleagues, local Indigenous Nations, and other experts to chart a sustainable path forward, ensuring a climate-conscious future that safeguards both our province and our quality of life.
Paul Choi - BC NDP (Burnaby South-Metrotown))
I believe that climate change is a significant threat to our communities. We’re seeing the impacts right here in BC—extreme weather events, wildfires, and flooding are putting our livelihoods at risk. If elected, I will continue to advocate for climate policy based on scientific evidence and the lived experiences of British Columbians who are facing these challenges first-hand.
Our CleanBC plan focuses on protecting people from climate impacts and building a more sustainable future. We’ve already taken steps to reduce pollution, support clean energy, and make our infrastructure more resilient. Investments like $1.1 billion in climate-ready communities and $157 million to protect our watersheds are critical in addressing the environmental threats we face today.
Moving forward, I will continue supporting cleaner, more efficient homes and businesses while ensuring that we protect our forests and watersheds. I believe in preparing our communities for the future. John Rustad and the BC Conservatives say that climate science is a lie. At a time when companies are creating jobs in jurisdictions that fight climate change, Rustad will abandon climate action and the opportunities in the clean economy and let BC get left behind.
Raj Chouhan - BC NDP (Burnaby-New Westminster)
From wildfires to atmospheric rivers, British Columbians are seeing firsthand the threat of climate change. That’s why we developed CleanBC, one of the most ambitious climate plans on the continent — and it’s working to reduce emissions while transitioning our economy. We have a strong roadmap that ensures we will remain a resilient and liveable province for generations to come. We know people want to be part of the climate solution. That’s why we have committed to solar panel and home battery rebates that will help you create and store energy, which will lower your hydro bill. Your BC NDP government will bulk purchase heat pumps, and pass the savings on to you to help you lower your heating bill and make your home energy efficient. The climate crisis is one of the greatest global challenges of our time, and we need the leader of our province to take it seriously. John Rustad denies the science of climate change and has promised to completely abandon BC’s climate action plan. The views he has shared time and time again prove that he is not up to the task of leading this province through these challenges. He will risk our children’s future, health, and environment in the pursuit of his misinformed and radical beliefs on climate science. David Eby and the entire BC NDP team, with advice from the experts and scientists, are ready to act.
Anne Kang - BC NDP (Burnaby Centre)
Climate change is a threat. We see that threat from the increased prevalence and intensity of heat domes, atmospheric rivers, and wildfires. These are affecting not only our general quality of life, but also our economy. If left unchecked, the effects on our province will be catastrophic. The BC NDP has a plan to lower climate change emissions. We are cleaning coastal communities, restoring ecosystems, investing in good sustainable jobs, and strengthening food security. We are taking immediate action and are making progress. We are building net-zero into the building code and planning infrastructure-builds in a more sustainable way. We are investing in cleaner and safer transportation and fuels, such as green hydrogen. We are investing in charging stations for electric vehicles. As well we are supporting British Columbians by providing grants and rebates for people to upgrade their homes, while helping them lower their day-to-day costs to run their homes. Although the scale of the crisis is large, our government is building a sustainable future where we protect the things we love the most, while building a strong economy and future-proofing B.C.
Martin Kendell - Independent (Burnaby North)
I believe that global warming is real, and that it is causing climate change in many different forms and is the biggest threat that this current generation is facing. We must address it immediately for the future generations that will inhabit this planet in the decades and hopefully centuries to come.
The statistical data from the scientific community that shows this planet is getting warmer and warmer with each passing year is incontrovertible. We need to act now and act boldly to do what we can as British Columbians to encourage change on the world stage to mitigate this climate emergency.
We need to remove all government subsidization within the oil and gas industry and double down on investment in greener and more sustainable sectors. There is an opportunity for create an economy that doesn’t depend on the extraction of fossil fuels and irresponsible clear cutting of BC’s forests.
If we fail, it will result in the eventual mass extinction of plant and animal life on this planet. But the Earth will be fine and will regenerate itself in a few million years with a new and hopefully smarter species of life that will respects this planet that it calls home.
Han Lee - Conservative Party of BC (Burnaby South-Metrotown)
Climate change is a reality, but we must balance environmental goals with affordability. BC families are struggling under the weight of carbon taxes and radical mandates, which do little to address climate issues but make life more expensive. I support investing in energy efficient technologies and expanding BC’s clean energy production, including hydroelectric and natural gas, but without crippling families with costs. Our focus should be on practical, proven solutions that make energy affordable while protecting the environment.
Carrie McLaren - BC Green Party (Burnaby South-Metrotown))
Yes Climate change is a threat. The results are all around us, fires that destroy towns, heat and floods that kill people. More and more of these disasters occur every year. I would use science backed policy, to add more renewable energy, stop fracking and protect the water, wild places and untouched lands we have left. Pollution and waste from LNG, oil, methane etc. puts all the costs onto to people, causing illness, loss of life, loss of farming land, fish and water, and ways of life. Reducing the causes of the pollution while cleaning, planning and protecting is a long term necessity if we are to have any kind of good future.
Janet Routledge - BC NDP (Burnaby North)
British Columbians can see the effects of climate change firsthand. Unprecedented wildfire seasons, floods and droughts have massive impacts on people’s lives, and cost the economy. Our CleanBC plan is among the most ambitious in North America. It makes government accountable for emission reduction targets, caps emissions for the oil and gas industry, supports innovation in clean energy and technology, and provides people with rebates for heat pumps, electric vehicles and home efficiency upgrades. And it’s working. We have the strongest economy in Canada, and emissions have decreased, despite our growing population.
Tara Shustarian - BC Green Party (Burnaby East)
Climate change is an existential threat. We are repeatedly witnessing its devastation in the fires, floods, landslides, atmospheric rivers and acute drought in our own province. The Greens helped create the Province’s climate action plan called Clean BC. The plan embodied legislated targets to reduce B.C. 's greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent below 2007 levels by 2030. As we see the rampage of climate change we need to do more.If elected, I would continue to reduce our greenhouse gas targets, by advocating for a BC Wide bus and rail system, connecting remote communities and making transportation affordable, accessible and reliable. In our cities, I would advocate for improved public transit and the creation of more robust active transportation networks. I would find ways to help all homes, including multi-unit residential buildings, transition to clean energy for heating and cooling by installing a streamlined process for heat pump installations. I would work to end the energy-intensive and polluting method of fracking and phase out the NDP’s subsidies of the LNG industry and divert it to renewable energy. Current LNG projects would continue till we have retooled all the expertise and worker’s skills to be able to work in the renewable sector. However, have meaningful dialogue, consultation and compensation with rural and indigenous communities that have been impacted by these projects. I have always been opposed to fossil fuel production and the Transmountain Farm and continue to advocate for a world-class emergency plan.
