A 25-year-old climate activist, who campaigned on increasing taxes for the wealthiest and putting a stop to fossil-fuel extraction, has been voted in as leader of the B.C. Greens in a decisive victory. Read More
Lowan has promised to push for a moratorium on fossil-fuel extraction and threatened to rip up the Green’s agreement with the NDP
Lowan has promised to push for a moratorium on fossil-fuel extraction and threatened to rip up the Green’s agreement with the NDP
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A 25-year-old climate activist, who campaigned on increasing taxes for the wealthiest and putting a stop to fossil-fuel extraction, has been voted in as leader of the B.C. Greens in a decisive victory.
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Emily Lowan, who doesn’t have a seat in the legislature, faces a number of challenges ahead, including navigating a byelection sometime in the future, working with two rookie Green MLAs — Jeremy Valeriote of West Vancouver-Sea to Sky and Rob Botterell of Saanich North — and boosting the party’s clout.
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Lowan said during the campaign that she would consider ripping up the co-operation agreement formed in late 2024 between the Greens and the governing B.C. NDP — an accord in which the Greens provide support on certain confidence votes in exchange for action on some of their priorities, such as a review of the CleanBC plan.
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But she told reporters Wednesday that it still remains a conversation to be had with her two MLAs.
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During the campaign, Lowan also pledged to push the province to greatly increase taxes on the wealthiest one per cent of British Columbians and bring in an 18 per cent windfall tax for corporate revenue above $1 billion to fund key priorities, such as affordable housing and expanded public transit.
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She has also said she would pressure the NDP to declare a moratorium on new fossil-fuel extraction, legislate binding emission reduction targets of 60 per cent below 2007 levels by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2040, and eliminate post-secondary tuition for domestic students.
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The scale of Lowan’s victory was vast, with the strategist for Climate Action Network Canada garnering 3,189 votes. Jonathan Kerr, a Comox Valley family doctor, finished second with 1,908 votes. Bringing up the rear was Adam Bremner-Akins, a 23-year-old former secretary of the party and Simon Fraser University political science student, who brought in 128 votes.
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B.C. Greens have started to elect their new leader with process under observation
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The party has been in a leadership race since October when longtime Leader Sonia Furstenau stepped down after being defeated by NDP cabinet minister Grace Lore.
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“We brought in thousands of new members to this party, many of whom are under the age of 30. We grew the youth membership under 30 by almost tenfold in the span of just five weeks. So I can only imagine what we’re capable of in six months to a year,” Lowan told reporters following the announcement of the results.
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The new party leader said she didn’t know how long it would take to get a seat in the legislature but that she does have a riding in mind. She said it wouldn’t be necessary for either of the party’s two current MLAs, Valeriote and Botterell, to step aside so she can run.