CCL Canada Spring Rendezvous 2020

More than 100 people gathered online Monday, May 11, for CCL Canada’s Spring Rendezvous. The conference featured Climate Advocate Training and presentations on climate lawsuits and carbon pricing policies around the world.

One of the presenters, Jason Dion from the Canadian Institute of Climate Choices, acknowledged CCL Canada for its work on carbon fee and dividend: “You folks were saying it early and often and should take some credit for where we are today.” 

KEY RESOURCES

i)Jason Dion, Canadian Institute of Climate Choices & Celine Bak, Analytica Advisors

This is a text block. Click the edit button to change this text.

ii) INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC CLIMATE LAWSUITS

Lawsuits Resources

Dr. Dianne Saxe
Danielle Gallant
Alex Neufeldt
Sophia Mathur
Facilitator: Vanessa Fiore
Includes a musical opening for 10 minutes from Angie Nussey
MORE ABOUT ANGIE NUSSEY
 
FROM DR. DIANNE SAXE
Find her presentation here:
 
MORE FROM DR. DIANNE SAXE
Liberals are deciding on how billions are being spent right now. Tell them that business-as-usual is not OK. Dr. Dianne Saxe (ON’s former Environmental Commissioner) says that now is the time to lobby gov’t.
 
1) Pls contact your Member of Parliament with an endorsement as per: https://clean50.com/cleanreset/
Don’t know who your MP is? No problem, just type in your postal code: https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en
 
2) Ask your city Councillor to sign this open letter:
https://saxefacts.com/open-letter-from-the-climate-caucus-to-the-prime-minister/
Not sure what Ward you live in? If you live in Toronto go here: https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/council/members-of-council/
If you live elsewhere Google: ‘who is my Councillor in _city name_”
 
P.S. – I encourage you all to save your Councillor and MPs full info on your smartphones. What gets their attention the most is hearing from constituents, ie., the voters in their ‘Ward’ (Municipality) or ‘Riding’ (Fed & Prov)
a) when you mention them directly on social media, and
b) when their phone lines are flooded with calls
c) personalized mail
Basically, anything that shows that you are so angry that you will take your precious time to complain. The more time you spend, the stronger your message is to your elected representative/politician. Especially phone calls: most people are no longer likely to use the phone. If you are too shy to speak to someone. Then call after hours and leave a voice message. Worried about how you sound in a voice message? – just hit pound/# at the end of your message and you have the opportunity to re-record. But don’t let your need for perfection deter you. Let them hear your passion in the moment.
 
Their staff regularly report to them the number of contacts on particular issues. So the next time you are waiting in line – pull out your phone and having a meaningful impact on your future! And your children’s future.
 
FROM DANIELLE GALLANT
How you can show support for the case Mathur et. al. v. Her Majesty in Right of Ontario
– Show your support of the case and sign up to stay informed: https://www.support.ecojustice.ca/page/56647/petition/1

iii) CARBON PRICING AROUND THE WORLD

Carbon Pricing Around the World Resources

CARBON PRICING AROUND THE WORLD
Andres Jimenez – Senior Director
Citizens’ Climate Education

Joseph Robertson  – Global Strategy Director
Citizens’ Climate Education

Cathy Orlando – Canadian Director and International Outreach Manager
Citizens’ Climate Education

James Collis – Regional Coordinator
Citizens’ Climate Europe

David Michael Terungwa – International Coordinator
Citizens’ Climate Lobby Africa
Founder and Executive Director of GIFSEP- Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation

Facilitated by
Princella Talley – Development Associate / Diversity Outreach Coordinator
Citizens’ Climate Education

Sara Wanous – Membership Coordinator
Citizens’ Climate Education

Updates from Cathy David Michael (ppt)

MORE ABOUT ANGIE NUSSEY

 

 

Climate Advocate Training

Lobbying Resources

KEY RESOURCES

Previous Presentations

Note, we have designated videoconference calls throughout the month of May to help you get started on lobbying.

LOBBYING POST EVENT will be distributed over the month of May and June

After the conference, all of us will be lobbying our MPs over the months of May and June.

We did not want to lobby circa May 11 because we wanted to give our MPs space and time to get to the other side of the COVID pandemic.  This was discussed on five of the April CCL Canada calls and the consensus was to wait. Thank you, everyone, for your time and teamwork.

Note you are to only lobby your own Parliamentarians. If you want to lobby a Senator, please connect with us on the monthly calls or email canada@citizensclimatelobby.org.

Do you want to lobby with us and get notifications of helpful video conference calls? To get on our mailing list email canada@citizensclimatelobby.org.

Outline of Event

Note your time zones well.

CCL’s Climate Advocate Training – Canadian Style
7:30 am PDST   to 9:00 am PDST
10:30 am EDST to 12:00 pm EDST
Cathy Orlando
If you miss it, look on our Youtube Channel for our latest training: https://www.youtube.com/user/CCLCan
For those of you planning to lobby, in preparation for this section, please think of something you cherish that you want future generations to see that is threatened by climate change.  You will be asked to type your answers in the chat box.

Conference Opening followed by back to back presentations
9:30 am PDST to 11:15 am PDST
12:30 pm EDST to 2:15 pm EDST
Welcome, Land Acknowledgement and Music from Angie Nussey
Jason Dion, Canadian Institute of Climate Choices
Celine Bak, Analytica Advisors
Facilitators: Gerry Labelle and Marlo Firme

Climate Lawsuits
11:30 am PDST to 12:30 pm PDST
2:30 pm EDST to 3:30 pm EDST
Dr. Dianne Saxe, Danielle Gallant, Alex Neufeldt, and Sophia Mathur
Includes a music opening for 10 minutes
Facilitator: Vanessa Fiore

Carbon Pricing Around the World and Closing Comments
12:45 pm PDST to 1:45 pm PDST
3:45 pm EDST to 4:45  pm EDST
CCE International Staff
Includes a music closing and a farewell to all
Facilitators: Princella Talley and Sara Wanous

CCL Canada Lobbying Postscript
2:00 pm PDST to 2:30 pm PDST
5:00 pm EDST to 5:30  pm EDST
Questions, comments, and helpful direction for CCLers who will be lobbying between the Conference and mid-June.

Optional CCL Canada calls for lobbying support post-conference
For those of you who are planning to lobby with us, we have set up a series of teleconference calls:
Mon, May 11, 2020, 6 pm PT/ 9 pm ET
Tue, May 19, 2020, 5 pm PT/ 8 pm ET
Fri, May 22, 2020, 8 am PT / 11 am ET
Tue, May 26 2020, 5 pm PT/ 8 pm ET
Friday, May 29, 2020, 8 am PT / 11 am ET
Look in the May 2020 Action Sheets for details.
Be sure to get on our CCL Canada mailing list.

 

KEY RESOURCES

 

 

Important Deadlines

 THANK YOU, MERCI AND MIIGWECH FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO DETAILS
  1. NOW if you asked your MP to attend the reception please advise them it has been canceled (January 2020 Action Sheets)
  2. Invite friends, family and your MPs to join this event.
  3. April 3 first day to register
  4. May 1 promotion outside of CCL begins
  5. May 8 last day to register or when we exceed 200 registrations. Register early.
  6. May 12 or sooner, start setting up a lobbying appointment with your MP these resources:

Never Lobbied Before?

RESOURCES:


NEVER LOBBIED BEFORE?

Don’t worry, we have been lobbying for carbon fee and dividend since September 2010 in Canada. You will be officially trained beforehand on either live videoconference in the morning on May 11 or recorded call. And by the end of the conference on the Monday you will be empowered to speak for millions.

Canada is one of the top-ranked democracies in the world. We must be the change agents and catalyze the transformation of the world.

We will send registered attendees a series of short emails after May 1 to orient everyone to the event. One of the emails will include a package of updated and most relevant “Laser Talks” with instructions as well as our 2020 Lobbying Ask.

Online, you are going to be hanging out with some of the most interesting and talented climate volunteers on the planet and we like to have fun. Getting out of our comfort zone is our modus operandi.

Most of our MPs will be relieved to know that there is someone in her/his riding that supports a national and rising price on carbon pollution.

We have one over-arching rule: treat politicians with respect and admiration for their service.

Here are the key strategies we use.

tenways

About Citizens' Climate Lobby Canada

ABOUT CITIZENS CLIMATE LOBBY CANADA

Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a non-profit, nonpartisan, grassroots advocacy organization focused on harmonizing Canada’s carbon pricing policies nationally. Our consistently respectful, nonpartisan approach to climate education is designed to create a broad, sustainable foundation for carbon pricing not just in Canada but in 58 CCL countries globally and across all political inclinations.

Since its inception in September 2010, CCL Canada has lobbied relentlessly for Canada to adopt Carbon Fee and Dividend as our national carbon pricing policy. Spanning almost 10 years, we have recorded over 1000 meetings with parliamentarians and appeared over  three thousand on the editorial pages of Canadian newspapers.

On October 13,  2018, Citizens Climate Lobby was on Parliament Hill for the 13th time.

Thirteenth time lucky is what the foray onto Parliament Hill will be remembered as. While on the hill, there were indications that Carbon Fee and Dividend was going to be announced as the official backstop policy for pricing carbon pollution in Canada.  Additionally, at that time the senator for Edmonton, AB Senator Grant Mitchell said:

“You are one of the most successful lobbying groups I have worked with because you are about to get what you lobbied for.”

Subsequently, three MPs and an Environment Minister in a Canada province have confirmed that CCL’s relentless focus was helpful in Canada’s carbon pricing policy.

Our work is far from over, in fact it feel like we have only just begun. As all seasoned environmental and social justice advocates know, gains made must then be defended.  As well, given that Canada’s current carbon pricing policy needs a lot of improvements, that we have a minority government, and that we are in a global emergency, CCL Canada is doubling down on our efforts to build political will for effective carbon pricing nationally. We will be using an updated version of the Canadian Carbon Pricing Guidelines document to guide us.

We are action-oriented, highly focused and we are not guessing.  Most of all we like to have fun. In less than 10 hours a month, guided by our core values, especially our super power, focus, our volunteers are continuing to create the political will for nationally harmonized carbon pricing policy in Canada.

MORE ABOUT US
At Citizens’ Climate Lobby, we’re committed to building the political will for a liveable world. As empowered citizens, we talk with neighbors, friends, and local officials about how national climate action can help ensure a healthy future while strengthening the Canadian economy.

FullSizeRenderOur volunteers include high school students and concerned grandparents,  health care workers and many other walks of life. Some are PhD’s who have spent careers researching the intricacies of climate change; others are concerned citizens who just want to know how to help. Whatever our  backgrounds, we’re all united by a commitment to making our voices heard as we call for a healthy climate future.

CCL is a non-partisan international organization of almost 200,000 supporters in 58 countries including 37 active chapters in Canada. Members of CCL’s International’s advisory board include: George P. Shultz, former US secretary of state; Dr. James Hansen, retired Director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies; Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, Canadian Climate Scientist at Texas Tech University; and others.

CCL believes politicians don’t create political will, they respond to it.

CCL believes citizens who are well trained, organized by ridings and with a good system of support can influence the political process.

Guided be our core values, our volunteers are helping Canada lead the fight to avert global climate breakdown, and they want to help politicians achieve this noble goal.

We are winning and going to win because of our incredible volunteers. They are truly some of the best volunteers on the planet.

Media Release: May 7, 2020

jpegCCL-Logo-Banner Bilingual

MEDIA RELEASE:  Citizens’ Climate Lobby Spring Rendezvous:
Building Canadian advocates 
for improved carbon fee and dividend policy 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 5, 2020

Sudbury, Ontario: Media, politicians and the public are invited to attend the 9th Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) Canada conference on Monday, May 11. Now being held virtually due to the COVID-19 crisis, the Spring Rendezvous prepares CCL volunteers to lobby parliamentarians on the vital importance of a fair, effective, and predictable Carbon Fee and Dividend policy.

In addition to climate advocate training, the event features guest speakers who will provide insights into international carbon pricing developments; moving Canada toward clean growth across all sectors of the country; key learnings from global climate lawsuits; and carbon pricing developments around the world. Keynote speakers include Jason Dion, Director of Mitigation at the Canadian Institute for Climate Choices and Céline Bak: Founder and President of Analytica Advisors..

“Our annual event takes on even greater importance in the midst of this global crisis,” says CCL Canada Director, Cathy Orlando. “It’s vital that we seize this moment, when people are aware of the combined power of their unity, to take the same fighting spirit Canadians have used against COVID-19 to the battle against global climate change.”

Following the event, CCL volunteers from 41 chapters across Canada will go on to lobby their MPs on the need for a transparent, comprehensive, multi-year carbon pricing framework. CCL’s recommendations include:

  • The need to increase the national carbon price past 2022 to at least $220 per tonne by 2030 — as recommended by Canada’s Ecofiscal Commission — in order to meet Canada’s Paris Climate Agreement commitments.
  • Ensuring that the carbon price continues to be revenue-neutral. CCL believes that Canadians should receive Climate Action Incentive rebates at least twice annually, via dividend cheques or direct deposits.
  • The need for the carbon price to be economy-wide with minimal, principled exceptions and that all measurable greenhouse gases (GHGs) are priced.
  • The need for Parliament to study the implementation of Border Carbon Adjustments that protect genuinely vulnerable industries and incentivize other countries to price carbon.
  • That the Canadian Federation agree upon carbon pricing equivalencies between jurisdictions in order to enact Border Carbon Adjustments that comply with international trade law.
  • A framework for cross-party cooperation be established, through legislation of science-based GHG targets and successive short term GHG budgets, with mandatory public reporting on progress in meeting these targets and budgets.

This year, Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) Canada celebrates its 10th anniversary of building political will across Canada. A volunteer-based organization, funded solely by Canadians, CCL Canada is committed to advocating for carbon pricing improvements and the need to address climate change. Its members have lobbied parliamentarians more than 1,000 times.

More details about the CCL Spring Rendezvous. Registration is free with a $10 recommended donation.

Media Contact: Cathy Orlando: cathy@citizensclimatelobby.org; 705-929-4043

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Canadian Civics 101

CANADIAN CIVICS 101

For the benefit of our American Guests

OVERVIEW: The USA is a democratic republic whereas Canada is a constitutional monarchy. The President is the elected head of state in the USA. Queen Elizabeth II is our head of state and she is represented in Canada by our Governor General, Julie Payette, a former NASA astronaut. Our head of state is also called “the Crown”. Canada has a bicameral system, just like the USA, with lower and upper houses.

EXECUTIVE BRANCH: In Canada, the political party with the most seats in the House of Commons forms the government and the leader of that party becomes the Prime Minister (PM). The executive branch of the Canadian government is led by the PM and he/she appoints senior Members of Parliament to the executive in a cabinet adhering to the principle of cabinet collective responsibility. The Privy Council is the non-partisan, public service support to the PM and Cabinet and its decision-making structures.

HOUSE OF COMMMONS: Our lower house is called the House of Commons and it is the Canadian equivalent of the US House of Representatives. Our federal representatives are elected in electoral districts which we call ridings. We have 338 electoral districts for 35 million people.  Our federal representatives are called Members of Parliament or MPs. Until 2009, governments could call an election at any time within five years of being elected. Since 2009, we have legislated set election dates every four years, unless there is a non-confidence vote in the House of Commons which defeats the government and forces an election. This usually happens when we have minority governments.

MINORITY GOVERNMENTS A minority government happens when the ruling party does not have a majority of the seats in Parliament. Currently, we again have a minority government under the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau (and yes, we add “u’s” to a lot of words up here).

These recent governments were all minority governments as well: 2004-2006, 2006-2008 and 2008-2011. Canada is predisposed to minority governments because we have three major political parties and compared to the USA, a significant Green Party which garners about 5% of the popular vote and a regional party: the Bloc Québécois which currently holds 32 seats with all of the seats in Quebec. Like in the USA and Britain, Canadian MPs are among the last representatives elected using a first-past-the-post ballot which many Canadians hope will change to some form of proportional representation.

THE CANADIAN SENATE: The Canadian Senate, unlike in the USA, is not elected. It is an appointed senate. Most senators hold their seat until the mandatory age of retirement. There are three types of senators in Canada: Independents, Liberals and Conservatives. Currently, Independents and Liberals combined in the Senate are in a majority. The Canadian senate is undergoing a reformation currently. The Senate is divided equally amongst four geographic regions: 24 for Ontario, 24 for Quebec, 24 for the Maritimes (10 for Nova Scotia, 10 for New Brunswick, and four for Prince Edward Island), and 24 for the Western provinces (six each for Manitoba, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Alberta). Newfoundland and Labrador, which became a Canadian province in 1949, is represented by six senators. Further, Canada’s three territories—the Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut—are allocated one senator each. An additional four or eight senators may be temporarily appointed by the governor general, provided the approval of the Queen is secured, and the four divisions are equally represented, thus putting the maximum possible number of senators at 113.

THE DOMINATE BRANCH: The House of Commons is the dominant branch of parliament with the Senate and the Crown rarely opposing its will. The Senate is meant to take a second sober look at bills before they pass into law. The Senate reviews legislation from a less partisan standpoint and the Governor General provides the necessary Royal Assent to make bills into law.

POWERS OF A MAJORITY GOVERNMENT:
The Canadian Prime Minister in a majority government has powers that a US president could only dream of because she/he has complete control over the executive and the House of Commons for four years (we don’t have mid-term elections in Canada) and they are rarely opposed by the senate or the Governor General. Canada had a majority government from 2016-2020.

 

Zoom Instructions

The link to the Zoom Room will only be given to those who register for this conference. It will be on a special Zoom Line with a password and sign-in.

ZOOM CONFERENCING TIPS 

  • Download Zoom onto your laptop, iPad, or computer beforehand. You can also download this app on your smartphone.
  • Click on this link to download: https://zoom.us/download
  • Sign in 5 minutes early.
  • If you are not able to join over the internet for whatever reason, you can join by phone. A phone number and password will be provided and you can join in via audio-only.
  • To improve audio/video quality, close all applications and other browser windows.
  • At this time, many network providers are seeing massive increases in residential bandwidth use during the day, and many users are being throttled. If participants are experiencing lagging or skipping, suggest that they use their computer to access video, while simultaneously dialing in by phone for the audio.
  • If you have problems connecting, please contact Zoom’s 24/7 support at 888-799-9666.
 
TO JOIN THE MEETING
1. Click on this link on your browser. https://zoom.us/
2. When it opens click on the JOIN MEETING icon
3. Input meeting ID: Look in your emails from us. Search for #SpringRendezvous
4. Then join the meeting.

 

CAN’T FIND LOGIN DETAILS TODAY?
Search your emails using #Springrendezvous – all one word and use Hashtag.

 

AUDIO IS NOT GOOD FOR YOU?
Dial by your location
+1 438 809 7799 Canada
+1 587 328 1099 Canada
+1 647 374 4685 Canada
+1 647 558 0588 Canada
+1 778 907 2071 Canada
855 703 8985 Canada Toll-free

Registration

REGISTRATION
CLOSED

If you are a Canadian politician and would like the sign-in information, please email canada@citizensclimatelobby.org

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DONATIONS:

We are raising money to fund our next conference in Ottawa. We hope to celebrate together our 10-year anniversary in October 2020 in Ottawa but must also be mentally prepared to wait until 2021.

Any donations at this time would be greatly appreciated because we have not had a fundraising drive since November 2018 and canceled our March 2020 fundraising drive for obvious reasons. Donations will give us more time to focus on building political will for carbon pricing during this very critical time in history. We rely on donations to pay for conferences and online expenses.

Every year, conferences fees have only covered less than a quarter of the cost of our national conferences. Financial contributions have also allowed us over the years to reduce or waive fees for people who would otherwise not be able to attend.