Emily Lowan, a 25-year-old climate activist, has been elected as the new leader of the British Columbia Green Party. She secured a decisive victory with 3,189 votes in a ranked-ballot election, significantly outpacing her nearest competitor, Jonathan Kerr, who received 1,908 votes. Adam Bremner-Akins finished third with 128 votes. The election saw a turnout of 61 percent, with 8,641 eligible members casting their votes.

Lowan, who currently does not hold a seat in the legislature, expressed her excitement about the campaign. "This campaign was electrifying. It was a lightning rod of hope. We brought in thousands of new members to this party, many of whom were completely disillusioned with politics," she said during her victory speech in Victoria.

Facing several challenges ahead, Lowan plans to run in the next available byelection or general election. The party currently has two members in the legislature, Rob Botterell and Jeremy Valeriote, who has been serving as the interim leader. Lowan emphasized the need for the Greens to reconsider their cooperation agreement with the governing B.C. NDP, which was established after the last election.

She stated that her election serves as a "clear message" that the party must adopt a different approach. Lowan aims to build a "formidable political movement" to challenge large corporations and advocate for progressive policies. She has committed to being a "bold and critical" opposition party, asserting that the Greens will become a "force of nature."

Lowan's campaign included proposals to increase taxes on the wealthiest British Columbians and implement an 18 percent windfall tax on corporate profits exceeding $1 billion. She also called for a moratorium on new fossil-fuel extraction and binding emission reduction targets of 60 percent below 2007 levels by 2030, with a goal of reaching 100 percent by 2040.

The party has been in a leadership transition since January, following the resignation of former leader Sonia Furstenau, who lost her re-election bid last year. Lowan's victory marks a significant shift in the party's direction, as she aims to engage a younger demographic and expand the party's influence in British Columbia.