North Coast First Nations announce new initiative on climate goals related to LNG and Hydro development

Mayor John Helin, Nisga'a President Eva Clayton and Chief Councillor
Crystal Smith celebrate a joint MOU with Metlakatla towards
climate goals and economic development in their communiites

The leaders of Four North Coast First Nations have taken the first steps towards a shared initiative on climate policy, which looks to address both climate issues and increase economic prospects for their communities.

An approach that would like to see take place largely through LNG and hydro electric infrastructure development across their territories, all while addressing key climate targets.

The leadership of the four nations announced their initiative today in Vancouver as part of the World Indigenous Business Forum, signing their names to the Memorandum of Understanding towards the climate plan.

The four included: Eva Clatyon from the Nisga'a Nation,  Chief Councillor Harold Leighton representing Metlakatla,  Mayor John Helin from Lax Kw'alaams and Chief Councillor Crystal Smith from the Haisla Nation.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Climate Change, creates what will be known as the Northwest Coast First Nations Collaborative Climate Initiative (FNCCI).

Collectively, the leaders are acting on the basis of their traditional laws in the interests of children and future generations.

Much of the focus of their plan explores how some of the most coal dependent nations in the world could shift away from the use of coal resources and adopt the cleaner supply of Natural gas development, which would be delivered from British Columbia.

The Nations believe a major focus of all climate policy frameworks should be the displacement of coal-fired generation in the most polluting jurisdictions of the world with gas products from British Columbia – gas that has the lowest carbon footprint of any produced in the world. 

The signatories further believe that some of the credit for the reduction in global greenhouse gases (GHGs) should be transferred to Canada from countries who receive the natural gas via Internationally Transferable Mitigation Outcomes as enabled under Article 6 of the Paris Accord.

As they explain their vision for the future, British Columbia gas products will be delivered by and through First Nations territories and businesses in a manner that maintains the highest environmental standards while contributing to First Nations economic self-determination and the alleviation of poverty. 

To achieve the visions of all climate policy frameworks, supporting infrastructure for the delivery of gas products, including pipelines and terminals, will need to be supplied with electricity from renewable sources.

The signatory Nations are committed to participating in the planning, management, construction and ownership of this new energy supply infrastructure.

The MOU further describes how the four Nations will collaborate on achieving their shared vision of implementing a First Nation, Provincial and Federal climate policy framework.

One that maximizes Canada’s impact on mitigating climate change on a global level in keeping with the Provincial Government’s CleanBC and the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.

Both Mayor John Helin of Lax Kw'alaams and Chief Councillor Harold Leighton of Metlakala signed onto the Memorandum today, expressing their approach to the shared initiative.

Our Nations are committed to working collaboratively with each other, with Federal and Provincial Governments, with other First Nations, with energy project developers and with environmental organizations to get the policy framework right and to help plan and construct the electrification infrastructure to deliver new sources of renewable electricity to the region. – John Helin, Mayor, Lax Kw’alaams Band.

The reality is that Canada can make a much greater impact on climate change by displacing coal with B.C. LNG in Japan and China than we could if new LNG projects weren’t to proceed. Our Nations want to support the reduction of GHGs as much as possible and displacing coal with B.C. LNG can make a major contribution. – Harold Leighton, Chief Councilor, Metlakatla First Nation. ..

More background on today's historic announcement from the four First Nations can be found from the Metlakatla First Nation Facebook page.

For further items of interest related to all four First Nations see our archive pages below:

Lax Kw'alaams

Metlakatla

Haisla

Nisga'a Nass Valley

Cross posted from the North Coast Review.