NDP

Richard Cannings (NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay) was elected in 2015 and appointed Deputy Critic for Natural Resources. He has sponsored three bills: to promote the use of wood in federal public works projects; to add various lakes and rivers to Navigable Waters Protection Act; and to require the Environment Minister to respond to a Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) report. He has advocated for a low-carbon economy, with more stringent carbon targets, low-carbon transportation infrastructure, and training for clean energy jobs. He has strongly encouraged cross-party cooperation on sustainability issues. Prior to being elected, Cannings was a biologist, a professor at the University of British Columbia, and author of several books on the natural environment. He served as a board member of the Nature Conservancy of Canada, and a member of COSEWIC, the B.C. Environmental Appeal Board and the B.C. Forest Appeals Commission.