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Four First Nations on B.C.鈥檚 North Coast signed a first-of-its-kind agreement on Wednesday to use the province鈥檚 liquefied natural gas to fight climate change around the world.

Leaders from the Lax Kw鈥檃laams Band, Metlakatla First Nation, Haisla Nation and Nisga鈥檃 Nation announced the launch of the Northwest Coast First Nations Collaborative Climate Initiative while signing of a memorandum of understanding at the World Indigenous Business Forum in Vancouver.

鈥淭he reality is that Canada can make a much greater impact on climate change by displacing coal with B.C. LNG in Japan and China than we could if new LNG projects weren鈥檛 to proceed,鈥� said Harold Leighton, Metlakatla First Nation chief councillor.

鈥淥ur Nations want to support the reduction of [greenhouse gases] as much as possible, and displacing coal with B.C. LNG can make a major contribution.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to be very proactive in dealing with our environment.鈥�

鈥� Ashley Wadhwani (@ashwadhwani)

They agreed to work together to implement a First Nation climate policy framework at both the provincial and federal levels of government to tackle climate change on a global level.

鈥淥ur community members are all concerned about climate change 鈥� we see its effects in our own backyards,鈥� said Eva Clayton, president of the Nisga鈥檃 Nation.

鈥淲e need to make a serious impact. Local initiatives that reduce emissions in B.C. by a few million tonnes per year are worthy goals, but they are not enough. We need to take action locally and globally.鈥�

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Burning LNG in power plants produces roughly 40 per cent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than coal.

Crystal Smith, Haisla Nation chief councillor, said B.C. could reduce as much as 64 million tonnes of greenhouse gases within one year if coal-fired facilities in Asia were replaced with a single electrified medium-to-large LNG plant.

The leaders also believe some of the credit for lower global greenhouse gas should be transferred to Canada from countries who receive the natural gas through the Internationally Transferable Mitigation Outcomes, as enabled under the Paris Accord.

The agreement also said First Nations will deliver B.C.鈥檚 gas products through their territories and businesses under the highest environmental standards while contributing to local nations鈥� economic self-determination and reducing poverty.