FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 11, 2025 Sudbury ON Canada, in Robinson-Huron Treaty Territory – As leaders of the world’s most advanced economies prepare to gather in Kananaskis for the 2025 G7 Summit from June 15 to 17, Citizens’ Climate Lobby Canada urges them to meet this moment with bold, cooperative action to protect people, the planet, and democracy. This year marks significant historical milestones: the 50th anniversary of the first G7, the 25th anniversary of the Jubilee 2000 debt cancellation campaign, and 15 years since the G8-G20 protests in Toronto which were the largest mass arrests in Canadian history. Yet these commemorations unfold amid multiple crises. Wildfires across Canada are devouring land at a pace unseen in any year other than the historic 2023, and a tariff war threatens global economic stability. These wildfires are not isolated events. They are part of a growing pattern of climate-fueled disasters that underscore the urgency of immediate and cooperative action. “The stakes are high,” said Cathy Orlando, National Director of CCL Canada. “But so is our capacity to act wisely, restore justice, and lift millions out of poverty without further burdening everyday citizens.” This year, Citizens’ Climate Lobby Canada urges G7 leaders to lead boldly in four key areas: We remind leaders of recent G7 milestones: the creation of the Carbon Pricing Club in 2022, commitments to decarbonize the global economy in 2015, and the first explicit acknowledgments of Indigenous and LGBTQ+ rights in 2018 and 2022. These were hard-won, and progress must not stall. Canada has hosted the G7 seven times. As the world returns to Kananaskis in 2025, the eyes of both the Global North and South are watching. Our future depends on courageous, just, and united action. ###From Debt to Democracy: Citizens’ Climate Lobby Canada Calls on G7 to Act Boldly
Media Contact: Cathy Orlando, 705-929-4043 cathy@citizensclimate.org
Climate change, largely driven by fossil fuel emissions, harms the poorest and most vulnerable the most. At the same time, one in ten people globally lives in extreme poverty. The G7 must commit to sustainable financing by cracking down on tax havens, making polluters pay, taxing the ultra-wealthy, and reforming harmful subsidies. Inspired by past G7 breakthroughs such as the 1999 debt relief package, the creation of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, and the G7 Climate Club launched in 2022, leaders must now champion debt cancellation and climate justice.
The shift away from fossil fuels must protect the dignity and rights of all people. For decades, fossil fuel dependence manipulated economies and inflated costs, including the inflation crisis we are in now. Today, clean and abundant energy is within reach. It must power a just and inclusive future.
Healthy democracies depend on open civic space, a free and independent press, and well-informed public dialogue. Today, disinformation and foreign interference put all of these at risk. To safeguard democracy, governments must reinforce institutions that protect free expression and shield the public from manipulation and harm.
True global cooperation means ensuring all voices are heard. The G7 must support reform of global governance structures so that power is more evenly shared and grounded in respect for human rights. This is the only path toward lasting peace and economic stability.
More information about Citizens’ Climate Lobby Canada can be found here:
https://canada.citizensclimatelobby.org/
MEDIA RELEASE From Debt to Democracy: Citizens’ Climate Lobby Canada Calls on G7 to Act Boldly
Posted on June 11, 2025 in Media Release
