Canadian election is a win for carbon pricing

By Cathy Orlando, CCL International Outreach Manager

On October 21, 2019, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau won a close election against a challenger who had promised to dismantle the nation’s policies on climate change, including the core carbon pricing policy. In fact, climate change was a top issue in the Canadian election for the first time.

In a speech on election night, Trudeau said, “You have asked us to show even more vision and ambition as we tackle the greatest challenge of this era, climate change. That is exactly what we will do.”

These election results are a resounding endorsement of carbon pricing in Canada. Of the popular vote, 65.6% of Canadians voted for parties that support carbon pricing. Of 338 seats in the House of Commons, 67% of them (227 seats) were secured by pro-carbon pricing politicians. “Environment leaders say the federal election result should be a signal from Canadians that climate change should no longer be fodder for partisan bickering,” Canada’s National Post reported.

An editorial from the Washington Post pointed out, “In this challenging political environment, the prime minister [Trudeau] made big promises on climate change. He had already imposed a carbon tax system on Canada’s provinces and, after Monday’s results, there is little doubt it will fully phase in early next year.”

When Canada’s price on pollution policy was announced last year, CCL’s Executive Director Mark Reynolds said, “For years, CCL grassroots lobbyists have pressed both the U.S. and the Canadian governments to enact carbon fee and dividend to bring heat-trapping emissions under control. We’re thrilled that Canada is taking the lead with this policy, and we hope their decision will inspire the U.S. Congress to take similar action.”

Today, we’re thrilled that most Canadians see the value of climate action and are backing politicians who promise to do even more.

Share the news of the election results on Twitter or Facebook. You can also read more about what CCL Canada and other environmental groups are asking of Parliament now. If you’re American, write to your member of Congress to encourage the U.S. to adopt a robust price on carbon pollution.