Premier John Horgan and George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, have issued the following statement to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day:

“Today, people in British Columbia and around the world are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.

“Half a century ago, the first Earth Day sparked a generation to stand up and protect our natural environment to build a better, more sustainable future for everyone to enjoy.

“In British Columbia, we have a long legacy of environmental stewardship that people can be proud of. It’s an important part of what makes our province so unique. People in B.C. have consistently been ahead of the curve on environmental protection, and this tradition continues to this day.

“Together, we are rising to the collective challenge of climate change. In B.C., we have one of the strongest climate action plans on the continent – CleanBC. CleanBC is a blueprint to help build a cleaner, better future for people living in communities throughout the province.

“Last fall, British Columbians made their voices heard by marching for strong action on climate change. In October, our government added better accountability and improved transparency to our CleanBC plan by introducing the Climate Change Accountability Act.

“On Earth Day, we reaffirm our commitment to taking action for the benefit of future generations.

“We have shown there is no limit to what we can accomplish together when we work toward a common purpose. It has never been more important to understand and value the connection between the health of the planet and the health of people. Together, we will continue to build a better future where the interests of people and the environment go hand in hand.”

For a French translation: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/2020.04.22_STMT-Earth_Day-FR.pdf