Media Release: Longtime Carbon Pricing Advocates Respond to Supreme Court Ruling

Media Release: Longtime Carbon Pricing Advocates Respond to Supreme Court Ruling

For Immediate Release: Thursday, March 25, 2021
Media Contact: Cathy Orlando 705-929-4043 cathy@citizensclimatelobby.org

Sudbury ON: Today, in a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the federal government has the right to impose minimum carbon-pricing standards on the provinces.

Three provinces – Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Alberta – challenged the constitutionality of the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, claiming that it was an overreach of federal powers into provincial affairs.

“The Supreme Court of Canada ruled what we in Canada have advocated for over a decade is constitutional,” says Cathy Orlando, National Director for Citizens’ Climate Lobby Canada. “The law can only change as fast as a society. So, the work of every carbon pricing advocate is now affirmed by Canada’s highest court in the land. Today is a good day.”

Chief Justice Richard Wagner wrote for the majority of the judges. “Climate change is real. It is caused by greenhouse gas emissions resulting from human activities, and it poses a grave threat to humanity’s future,” Wagner wrote. He described climate change as “a threat of the highest order to the country, and indeed the world.” The majority noted that global warming causes harm beyond provincial boundaries and that it is a matter of national concern under the “peace, order and good government” clause of the Constitution.

Of importance to global carbon pricing advocates, the ruling included, “A provincial failure to act directly threatens Canada as a whole.” Canada would not be able to push for global action on climate change if provinces were not cooperating in the fight against it, the majority said.

“The world was watching Canada. My colleagues were in a state of suspense with us this past week,” says Orlando. “My colleague in Nigeria, David Michael Terungwa, was the first to send out a congratulatory tweet.”

Breaking News!
Canada Supreme Court ruled: Canada's Carbon Price #ClimateIncome is constitutional
Congratulations to @CitizensLobbyCa @ConnectedCathy @poet_economist and to @Climate_INTL @citizensclimate family. @msimire @adesuwagreen @GBulus @joeibrohttps://t.co/G6FHXNqZUF

— #ClimateIncome #BasicIncome #VillageBoy (@miketerungwa) March 25, 2021

For over a decade, Citizens’ Climate Lobby Canada has worked in close partnership with their sister organization in the USA

“We’re thrilled with today’s decision. We hope this ruling by Canada’s Supreme Court inspires the U.S. Congress to move forward with effective carbon pricing, too, ” expressed Mark Reynolds,  Executive Director of Citizens’ Climate Lobby.

References:

• Supreme Court press release: https://www.scc-csc.ca/case-dossier/cb/2021/38663-38781-39116-eng.aspx
• Full decision text: https://decisions.scc-csc.ca/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/18781/index.do

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