BC Greens propose royalty overhaul for fossil fuel companies, say plan would raise $4B a year
The BC Green Party published a climate and resource plan on October 10 that would replace the current royalty system and add a windfall profits tax on fossil fuel companies.
Announcement. A campaign, a party or the City chose to say this. voche.me reports it as their claim. Read the original report on bcgreens.ca.
The BC Green Party published a plan on October 10 to change how BC collects money from fossil fuel companies and to stop new LNG infrastructure in the province.
Emily Lowan, the BC Greens leader and candidate for Saanich North and the Islands, announced the plan in Victoria. The party says a new royalty system would generate $4 billion a year, and a separate windfall profits tax would apply when companies earn large profits from global price spikes. Both figures and the design of the tax are the party's own, published on its website, and have not been independently reviewed.
What the party says about the current situation
The BC Green Party states on its website that BC receives a maximum of 14 percent of the profits from fossil fuel extraction. The party also says LNG production in the province has more than doubled over the last 15 years while royalty payments received by the province dropped by half over that same period. These are the party's own claims.
The party cited what it described as an independent review of CleanBC, which it says confirmed in November 2025 that BC is not on track to meet its legislated climate targets. The party says the government responded by supporting new LNG development instead of changing course.
"Foreign mega-corporations are harvesting B.C.'s resources, yet paying scraps to British Columbians," Lowan said, as quoted on the party's website. "Meanwhile, families are paying the price for the climate change these corporations create, through wildfire smoke, higher insurance bills, and heat waves that put lives at risk."
Opposition to new LNG infrastructure
The BC Greens say they would stop locking BC into new fossil fuel infrastructure, which the party says is built to run for 20 to 40 years. The party says new LNG development could add millions of tonnes of industrial emissions each year, which the party says would cancel out cuts that households and other industries are making.
The party also says it fundamentally opposes the Pacific Link pipeline, describing it as a $40 billion handout to the fossil fuel industry that puts BC coasts and lands at risk. The $40 billion figure is the party's own characterization.
Help for households
Alongside the royalty plan, the party says it would use revenue to help households cut their energy costs, though the announcement does not specify the amount or the form that help would take.
Voters can compare what the parties have said about climate, energy and natural resources at /bc/provincial-2026/news. Voting day is October 24, 2026, with advance voting from October 16 to 21.
Questions this story answers
What did the BC Greens announce about fossil fuel royalties on October 10?
The BC Green Party published a plan on its website on October 10, 2026, proposing a new royalty framework for fossil fuel companies operating in British Columbia. The party says the new system would generate $4 billion a year for the province. That figure is the party's own estimate and has not been independently audited. The announcement was made by leader Emily Lowan in Victoria.
What is the windfall profits tax in the BC Greens plan?
The BC Green Party says it would introduce a windfall profits tax on fossil fuel companies when global prices rise sharply, giving as an example periods like what the party describes as an Iran War price spike. The party says the tax would ensure companies pay a larger share when they earn extraordinary profits from price increases that are not related to their own investment or operations. The party has not published a specific rate for this tax on its announcement page.
What does the BC Green Party say about BC's current share of fossil fuel profits?
The BC Green Party states on its website that BC currently receives a maximum of 14 percent of the profits from fossil fuel extraction. The party also says LNG production in BC has more than doubled over the last 15 years while royalty payments received by the province have dropped by half over the same period. These are the party's own claims and figures, not independently verified numbers.
What is the Pacific Link pipeline and why do the BC Greens oppose it?
The BC Greens say on their website that they fundamentally oppose the Pacific Link pipeline. They describe it as a $40 billion handout to the fossil fuel industry that puts BC coasts and lands at risk. That $40 billion figure is the party's own characterization and has not been independently verified. The party did not name another source for the cost figure in the October 10 release.
What did the BC Greens say about BC's climate targets?
The BC Green Party cited an independent review of CleanBC, which it says was released in November 2025 and confirmed that BC is off track to meet its legislated climate targets. The party said the government responded by supporting new LNG development rather than changing course. The CleanBC review reference is the party's own citation; the party's website links to a policy brief for more detail.
How does this plan connect to the BC election on October 24?
The BC Greens are one of the parties running in the provincial election on October 24, 2026. Voters can read the party's full climate and royalties policy brief at the link on the BC Greens website. Advance voting runs from October 16 to 21. Voters can find where to vote at Elections BC's website or at /bc/provincial-2026 on this site.
What did the other parties say in response to the BC Greens climate plan?
No statement from the BC NDP or the Conservative Party of BC responding specifically to this announcement was found in reports reviewed on October 10, 2026. The BC Green Party's release did not include responses from other parties.
Who announced the BC Greens fossil fuel plan and when?
BC Green Party leader Emily Lowan, who is also the candidate for Saanich North and the Islands, announced the plan on October 10, 2026. The announcement was made in Lekwungen territory in Victoria. Emily Lowan's candidate page is at /bc/provincial-2026/candidates/emily-lowan.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- BC Green Party: New royalty framework and fossil fuel climate planbcgreens.ca
- Elections BC: 2026 provincial electionelections.bc.ca
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