Media Release: Constituents to Converge in Ottawa to Ask MPs to “Meet the Moment”

Constituents to Converge in Ottawa to Ask MPs to “Meet the Moment”

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 7, 2025
Media Contact: Cathy Orlando, 705-929-4043 cathy@citizensclimate.org

Ottawa, October 7, 2025 — Less than two weeks before the federal Fall Budget, at least 55 constituents from six provinces will converge on Parliament Hill to deliver a clear message to MPs: Canada must meet the moment on climate action. They are not alone in their concern. A July 2025 Abacus poll found that public concern about climate has risen 15 points in just one year. (Abacus Data, July 2025).

From October 19–21, 2025, Citizens’ Climate Lobby Canada and partners will host The People’s Ministry of the Future, a conference inspired by Kim Stanley Robinson’s 2020 climate novel, The Ministry for the Future, and grounded in the reality that climate solutions already exist. The promise is that by acting on them, Canadians can build a more affordable and prosperous future.

The stellar line-up of speakers and events includes:

• Catherine McKenna, former Minister of Environment and Climate Change, sharing stories from her new book Run Like a Girl
• Senator Rosa Galvez on aligning Canada’s financial system with climate goals
• A panel with Generation Squeeze, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), and the Canadian Climate Institute on carbon pricing and fairness
• Another panel from Ecojustice on our rights to a liveable future
• Andrew Jones of Climate Interactive, delivering an interactive En-ROADS climate simulator demo over breakfast with MPs, followed by citizen-led lobbying on Parliament Hill.

“Change is built on trust, and trust is built over many cups of tea. In an age of AI and social media overload, this kind of in-person connection is a breath of fresh air,” says Cathy Orlando, National Director of Citizens’ Climate Lobby Canada.

The citizens gathering in Ottawa are deeply concerned about the costs of inaction. Canada is already facing an uninsurable future, fossil fuel-driven health crises, and escalating financial risks. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez recently put it bluntly: “Climate change kills.” 

Fossil fuel disinformation has long undermined climate action.  The good news is that recent research shows “that clear, fair climate policy that is well-communicated is the best defense against populist manipulation.” (German data).

With the budget cycle looming, citizens are calling on MPs to enact energy and financial policies that redirect money toward a liveable and affordable future for all, including strengthening industrial carbon pricing, capping emissions, and aligning the financial sector with the reality of the climate crisis.

“The transformation of our economy will not be linear, and change is already underway. Our MPs must meet the moment, and we want them to know we support them in doing so,” says Orlando.

About Citizens’ Climate Lobby: Since 2010, Citizens’ Climate Lobby Canada has lobbied continuously for the most effective climate policies possible, and our goal of sustaining a liveable world does not end. Read more about us here: https://canada.citizensclimatelobby.org/about-ccl/