The BC NDP government has always insisted its CleanBC plan to tackle climate change had achievable goals. But after eight years in power, and a failure to meet some critical benchmarks, what was once sold as ambitious but attainable is being rebranded as well-intentioned but unrealistic.

Energy Minister Adrian Dix argued the point in a press conference Tuesday during which he paused B.C.’s electric vehicle mandate.

British Columbia is actually leading North American in EV sales at 22 per cent of all light-duty vehicles purchased. It has bucked the trend of a collapsing EV market seen in the United States. But it’s still short of the legislated goal it set for itself of 26 per cent next year. And it won’t make 90 per cent by 2030 or 100 per cent by 2035.

“Realistically, we’re not going to make these goals,” said Dix.

The disconnect means B.C. has to pause and rethink, said Dix. The province is the North American leader, but still a legislative failure by its own design.

“It’s the reality that matters for the climate, not the target,” said Dix. “The reality is that we have to have targets that we can reach. And I think putting out a target that you can't reach just means period after period when our enormous success is treated as disappointment.”

It’s not just political embarrassment on the line either. Under the NDP’s CleanBC law, auto companies were set to be hit with financial penalties this season. They’d pass that financial hit onto........

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