Stop funding fracking

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Taxpayer-funded fracking is fuelling climate disasters and ongoing violence against Indigenous peoples. We have a critical opportunity to stop B.C.'s biggest subsidy for fracking through the BC Royalty Review. Tell the B.C. government to stop funding fracking and end all fossil fuel subsidies now.

Deadline: 10th December 2021

Dear Premier, Ministers, and staff, I appreciate that the BC NDP is taking this first step towards eliminating ALL fossil fuel subsidies through this Royalty Review. To respond to the options outlined in the Royalty Review: ● I support a flat rate on production with no capital recovery mechanism. ● I support a high royalty rate that reflects the social, environmental, and climate impacts of fracking. ● I support a rapid transition to the new system as quickly as possible. The development of this new royalty system must be made in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. I encourage the BC government to develop this new royalty system in full partnership with Indigenous peoples whose territories are impacted by the extraction, transport and export of gas, and ensure that the economic component of Aboriginal Title is recognized through the sharing of benefits and revenues that result. I am extremely concerned about the impacts of continued fossil fuel extraction in B.C. which pollutes local ecosystems and groundwater, harms human health, undermines climate action, and tramples Indigenous rights. Ongoing subsidies and tax breaks for fossil fuel companies incentivize fracking, gas pipelines, and LNG export facilities that are not economically viable without these massive public handouts. I call on you to end ALL fossil fuel subsidies now.
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B.C.’s Natural Gas Royalty System is broken

Thanks to massive public pressure, the BC NDP have launched a Royalty Review to evaluate subsidies for fracking companies.

This is a critical opportunity to end Deep Well Royalty Credits—one of BC's biggest fossil fuel subsidies.

The Deep Well Royalty Credit program was originally enacted in 2003 by the BC Liberal government to incentivize companies to drill fracking wells. It resulted in a massive rush to drill as many fracking wells as possible in northeast B.C. with devastating consequences for the environment, groundwater, human health, Indigenous communities, and the climate.

A single fracking well can be eligible for between $440,000 and $2.8 million. This is a huge tax loophole for fracking companies. The Province of B.C. currently owes fracking companies $3.8 billion in unused royalty credits!

Under Premier Horgan's leadership, taxpayer handouts for fossil fuel companies increased to a whopping $1.3 billion a year. That's double what we spend on climate action and five times more than we earn in royalties.

Meanwhile the oil and gas sector produces 21% of BC's greenhouse gas emissions, while contributing only 4% towards GDP and creating 0.5% of the jobs in the province.

The climate crisis is already impacting British Columbia through heatwaves, wildfires, floods, and landslides. Public funding must be directed towards urgent climate action—not towards risky fossil fuel projects that taxpayers will have to pay to clean up.

Tell Premier Horgan to stop funding fracking

Please submit a comment in support of a new royalty system that:

Eliminates the deep well royalty credit and other subsidies embedded in the royalty system.
Charges a fair price for our gas.
Uses the royalty structure to help meet our climate targets and wind down gas production.
Respects the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Doesn’t leave existing wells trapped in a broken system.

How does this relate to Woodfibre LNG?

The owner of Woodfibre LNG, Sukanto Tanoto, now owns a fracking company, Pacific Canbriam Energy, which will supply gas for Woodfibre LNG (if it ever goes ahead).

If we can eliminate subsidies for fracking, Woodfibre LNG will never be economically viable.

It takes a minute to tell the Premier to stop funding fracking using our template letter above.

Even better—call the Premier's office and leave a message: +1 (250) 387-1715.

Learn more

1) Read the independent assessment which concluded that "The BC royalty system for oil and gas is broken. It does not support and contribute to government and societal goals."

2) Download the discussion paper for the Royalty Review.

3) Article by the Tyee: Are Fossil Fuels in Our Future? BC Wants to Hear from You

4) Watch this webinar explaining BC's royalty review (thanks to our friends at Wilderness Committee, Stand, and Dogwood).

5) Read the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternative's submission to the Royalty Review.