Media Release: Canadian Election Bodes Well For Strong Climate Action and Cooperation

Canadian Election Bodes Well For Strong Climate Action and Cooperation

FOR IMMEDIATE MEDIA RELEASE: September 24, 2021
Media Contact: Cathy Orlando, cathy@citizensclimatelobby.org, 705-929-4043

Sudbury ON: On Monday, September 20, 2021, the Liberals did not secure a majority government but the climate emergency did. Nearly 60 percent of voters in Canada cast ballots for parties promising strong action on the climate crisis.

As well, the political landscape barely changed. This indicates that Canadians were satisfied with their local Members of Parliament. Undoubtedly, with six federal parties in Canada, minority governments are going to be part of the political landscape for the foreseeable future. Our members of parliament are going to have to work together across the aisle.

That is good news because the COVID crisis has taught us that the Canadian confederation works best when politicians at all levels of government listen carefully to the experts and cooperate.

The climate crisis poses a great threat to civilization if we don’t take swift and immediate action now. The latest IPCC report is a code red alert for humanity. The science is clear: if we want to protect lives, livelihoods, and ecosystems, we must accelerate our efforts to pivot towards low-carbon energy sources while shielding impacted communities. 

Politicians should note that their future voters are watching in dread.  A recent study published in Lancet Planetary Health found that of 10,000 youth worldwide polled, 56 percent think humanity is doomed. 

We are not doomed. Canada has laid down the foundation for a liveable future. Climate Action Tracker currently rates Canada’s effort towards contributing to the 1.5 C  goal to be ‘highly insufficient’. However, contained within their analysis is the following statement, “Canada released a revised climate plan in December 2020 and has announced further measures this year, largely in its 2021 Budget. If Canada can successfully implement all of these announced plans, it would go a long way to closing the ambition gap and its rating would improve to “Almost sufficient”. It would also help Canada improve its overall CAT rating by one level.”

Our MPs need to go back to Ottawa and work collaboratively together and enact the best possible climate policies to steer civilization away from climate collapse. The evidence is very clear that a robust carbon pricing policy is an essential policy for cutting greenhouse gas pollution.

Citizens’ Climate Lobby will continue to build political will for a liveable world in over 120 communities in Canada through their focused efforts to lobby for a stronger carbon policy; inclusive of a rising carbon price beyond $170 per tonne by 2030 to $200-300 per tonne.

Quotes from leaders at Citizens’ Climate Lobby Canada 

“In BC, we just endured a terrible summer of heat, drought, and devastating wildfires. We’re beyond climate change—it’s the current climate. Experts agree that carbon pricing is the way out of this. Let’s put politics aside and pull in the same direction. Action can’t come fast enough.”
Bruce Sharpe – Surrey, British Columbia

“Now that we have a Conservative in our riding, we have an opportunity to explain to her just how Canada’s carbon pricing mechanism system is the most conservative, market-driven policy available to address the climate crisis. Perhaps she can influence her caucus to support this measure and to work in collaboration with all other parties to introduce other meaningful actions.”
Guy Hanchet – Peterborough, Ontario.

“A new election means new hope. On the heels of both a provincial and federal election, we in Nova Scotia hope that our representatives hold strong to the climate policies set by the previous legislation, look to improve on these strategies, and cooperate with the rest of Canada to face this challenge together.”
Brian Cho – Halifax, Nova Scotia

“I have spent the past 11 years building political will for carbon pricing, simply because it is the single most powerful tool we have to cut greenhouse gas emissions.”
Cathy Orlando – Sudbury, Ontario

“The nearly 60 percent of voters in Canada who cast ballots in the federal election for parties promising strong action on the climate crisis sent a message not only to our federal politicians but to our provincial and municipal politicians as well.  All levels of government must cooperate in the implementation of policies, including carbon pricing, to address the current climate emergency.”
Jeffrey Levitt – Toronto, Ontario

“Poor air quality, due to smoke from hundreds of forest fires, has kept my clients with heart disease, COPD, asthma and other chronic conditions indoors for much of the summer in Manitoba. Ranchers and producers are having to sell cattle and generational farms due to severe drought conditions. With the election behind us, let’s see our rural-and-agriculture-friendly MPs from all parties work towards a society that protects the medically vulnerable and food producers among us, by relying less on fossil fuels and more on low carbon solutions.”
Virginia Cail – Dauphin, Manitoba

“Thousands of people from Northern Manitoba communities were evacuated again due to fires this summer, an increasingly common occurrence.  In some places, Hydro poles were burned, so these communities still wait in Winnipeg hotel rooms, away from home and regular schooling.  We need all our legislators to cooperate for expanding carbon pricing and transitioning to a just and liveable planet.”
Lori Bohn – Winnipeg, Manitoba

“With our country’s recent election and the clear mandate our government has been given to address climate change, it is time to take careful stock of our fossil fuel industries and ourselves and decide which of the two is irreplaceable. We cannot drag our heels, the devastating impacts of climate change are already all around us, from forest fires to floods. We need a clear path forward: net zero-emission targets, transparent timelines for our steeply rising carbon price, and a robust strategy to diversify our economy away from fossil fuels.”
Mark Taylor – Calgary, Alberta

“Once the mainstay of Alberta’s prosperity, fossil fuels are now faltering badly as an engine of growth. They’re also devastating our planet and leaving toxic messes all over this beautiful province. We Albertans are good at building things. Let’s build a 21st-century economy.” ​
Andy Kubrin – Calgary, Alberta

“The federal election results confirm that Canadians and Quebecers expect cooperation and climate action from our elected representatives. Experts agree the best way to avoid a climate crisis is with a rising price on CO2 pollution. Here in Quebec, that price is $29/tonne. On Monday, the majority of Quebecers voted for parties promising to increase the price of CO2 pollution to $170/tonne by 2030. We need our elected representatives to work together and increase the price of CO2 pollution if we are to tackle this crisis together, and harmonizing pollution pricing systems is a great place to start”
James Murphy – Montreal, Quebec