Highlights of British Columbia’s climate plan

RICHMOND, B.C. – Here are the highlights of B.C.’s Climate Leadership Plan released Friday. Under the plan, the provincial government will:

— Develop a strategy to reduce methane emissions.

— Introduce incentives to encourage companies to convert their vehicles to renewable natural gas.

— Expand its Clean Energy Vehicle program to encourage greater use of zero-emission vehicles by increasing point-of-sale incentives for eligible vehicles.

— Support more charging stations for electric vehicles and develop regulations so local governments can require that new buildings install adequate charging facilities.

— Improve the transportation network thought its B.C. on the Move program, a 10-year plan that includes increasing the number of BC Transit buses that use compressed natural gas, and expanding public transit to reduce congestion, particularly in Metro Vancouver.

— Increase tree planting over an area of up to 3,000 square kilometres over the next five years to store more carbon.

— Require all of the electricity acquired by BC Hydro to be renewable or clean.

— Provide more incentives for marine vessels to be fuelled with cleaner burning liquefied natural gas.

— Introduce policies to encourage the development of buildings that are carbon neutral.