B.C. Green Party votes in climate activist Emily Lowan as new leader

Emily Lowan, a 25-year-old climate activist, is the new leader of the British Columbia Green Party. Lowan won on the first ballot with 3,189 votes, ahead of second-place Jonathan Kerr with 1,908 votes, while Adam Bremner-Akins finished third with 128 votes.

She doesn't have a seat in the legislature but says she plans to run in the next ``viable'' byelection or in the next general election.

Lowan says the Greens will become a ``force of nature'' and promises that it will be a ``bold and critical'' opposition party.

She says her decisive mandate is a ``clear message'' that the party needs to do something differently.

Former leader Sonia Furstenau lost her bid for re-election in last year's election and stepped down from the post in January.