Emily Lowan

Emily Lowan (born September 18, 2000) is a Canadian politician and activist who has served as leader of the Green Party of British Columbia since 2025. She was reported to be the first Generation Z leader of a major political party in Canada.

Lowan is not a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, but has said she intends to run in the next "viable" provincial by-election or in the next general election. She has said she will not ask either of the two current Green MLAs Jeremy Valeriote or Rob Botterell to resign so she can run in a by-election in their constituencies.

Lowan positions herself as a progressive challenging the political establishment, similar to Zack Polanski in the United Kingdom and Zohran Mamdani in New York City.

Leader of the BC Greens (2025–present) On July 3, 2025, Lowan launched her campaign for the party leadership, receiving endorsements from David Suzuki, among others. She won the election in September 2025, winning over 60% of the popular vote, becoming the first Generation Z leader of a major political party in Canadian history.

Membership in the party increased from roughly 5,500 to 10,000 during the leadership campaign primarily bringing in youth, with membership under 30 increasing tenfold. Much of this growth comes from Lowan's activity on social media sites, where she uses short-form videos to express her platform and policies.

Oligarchy A major priority of Lowan's campaign and platform as leader is raising taxes on the wealthiest people in the province. Lowan defines “the oligarchs” as people who have at least CAD$100 million in assets. According to Lowan, “There’s about 650 individuals in B.C. that fall under that particular bracket.”

Labour Lowan has advocated for "aggressively expanding unionization" and implementing sectoral bargaining, legislation which would allow unions to reach a collective agreement that covers all workers in a sector of the economy.

Lowan has criticized the BC NDP for their handling of the 2025 BCGEU public service strike, the longest public service strike in Canadian history. Lowan has also accused David Eby of "abandoning his traditional labour and progressive base."

She has also argued that unions must be a larger part of the government's consultation process, pointing to the BC NDP's plan to allow private liquor distribution being tainted by "corporate lobbying."

Climate change Lowan has voiced her opposition to the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by Mark Carney and Danielle Smith on the construction of a new pipeline to British Columbia's North Coast.

She successfully campaigned to have the University of Victoria’s working capital fund divest $256 million of investments in fossil fuel corporations. She is the former Fossil Fuel Supply Campaigns Lead at Climate Action Network Canada.

Indigenous rights Lowan supports the implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), calling for the government to "build a shared vision with First Nations on a stable, clear path forward with the implementation of DRIPA."

Electoral reform Lowan campaigns for reforming British Columbia's electoral system, supporting proportional representation. and the University of Victoria where she holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and environmental studies.