SKEENA REGION, B.C. – A coalition of Indigenous leaders from Northwest B.C., including the Nisga’a, Haisla, and Metlakatla First Nations, is urging the federal and provincial governments to act on key policy reforms they say could unlock more than $60 billion in First Nations-led clean energy and infrastructure projects.
The First Nations Climate Initiative (FNCI) is advocating for targeted changes that would pave the way for major local projects like the Nisga’a-led Ksi Lisims LNG and the Haisla-led Cedar LNG to move forward, positioning the region as a leader in global decarbonization.
“The Nisga’a Nation is taking real steps to help other countries decarbonize their economies while addressing poverty at home,” said the Chief Executive Officer of the Nisga’a Lisims Government.
The coalition is calling for action in four priority areas:
- Expanding federal investment tax credits to support new transmission lines.
- Allowing Indigenous-led carbon offset projects to count toward industrial climate compliance.
- Aligning Canada’s trade policy to recognize the value of low-carbon exports.
- Funding for Indigenous-led deployment of new clean energy technologies.
The leaders argue that these Indigenous-led or partnered projects represent a fundamental shift in how their nations can contribute to both climate solutions and economic self-sufficiency.
“For the Haisla, the future looks different for the next generation than it did a decade ago,” said the elected Chief Councillor of the Haisla Nation, pointing to the Cedar LNG project. “Poverty, suicide, homelessness, joblessness are being replaced by economic independence and autonomy.”
The FNCI says the policy decisions made by governments now will determine whether these massive, Indigenous-led projects can reach their full potential at a time when both the climate and economic stakes have never been higher.
