ICYMI: A wrap up of 2018

In Case You Missed It: A wrap up of 2018

G20 Peer Review of Fossil Fuel Subsidies
In February, in collaboration with organizations within Climate Action Network Canada, our volunteers were given impeccable talking points and instructions in their monthly actions sheets.  Then they sent over 700 letters to Parliament asking for the government to commit to peer-review of fossil fuel subsidies under the G20. In June the government of Canada formally committed to the G-20 peer-review process.

Canada Enacts First Carbon Fee and Dividend Policy
On October 23, 2018, the government of Canada enacted the first carbon fee and dividend policy on the planet.

While lobbying on Parliament Hill the week before, Senator Grant Mitchell, said to our national director, “You are one of the most successful lobbying groups I have worked with because you are about to get what you lobbied for,” and he graciously let us quote him.

Will Ireland Be Next?
On November 21, Eamon Ryan, Leader of the Green Party / Comhaontas Glás, debated fee and dividend in the Irish legislature. “Every cent raised would be returned equally to each citizen in a direct payment.” Sound familiar?

The best part is when Leo Varadkar, the Irish Prime Minister, agreed with him and talked about Canada’s policy. Kudos and gratitude to Graham and the gang at CCL Ireland for bringing the talking points and literature about carbon fee and dividend to Ireland.

Or the USA?
In late November and then in early December bipartisan carbon fee and dividend bills were introduced in both the US House of Representatives (H.R. 7173) and US Senate (S. 3791),  respectively.

Have no doubt that our CCL friends south of the border often cite Canada when empowering fellow US citizens to embrace carbon fee and dividend.

As of December 24, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend is sponsored by 5 Republicans and 5 Democrats in the House of Representatives and Senators Flake (R-AZ) and Coons (D-DE) in the Senate.

Fridays For Future Comes to the Western Hemisphere
On November 2, 2018, CCL Sudbury member Sophia Mathur conducted possibly the first the first Friday For Future Climate Strike in the Western Hemisphere in solidarity with Greta Thunberg in Sweden who has been striking from school since August.

On Friday, December 7, youth in Victoria, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Sudbury, Kingston, Kitchener, Ottawa, and  Fredericton conducted Fridays For Future strikes.  Their actions made the CBC National on Friday, December 7, 2018, and Greta Thunberg tweeted her appreciation.

As Greta Thunberg said in her speech at COP24 on behalf of Climate Justice, “We have run out of excuses and we are running out of time. We have come here to let you know that change is coming, whether you like it or not. The real power belongs to the people. Thank you.”

Canadian youth are gearing up to strike again in 2019. Follow their developments here

Calling on young people who want to strike from school on Fridays please register here.  Citizens’ Climate Lobby Canada and friends will help you get too connected to fail.

Gratitude
We are an action-oriented organization, not a think-tank. Humans have had 30 years of pep-talks and a deluge of climate facts. The time for talk and facts is long over.

Bold and consistent actions by our volunteers over the last eight years have produced incredible results. Thank you, everyone, for daring greatly and being on the journey with us from me to we!

Action is where hope resides.