What is a Phone Zap? Call-in campaigns, also known as “phone zaps,” are actions meant to pressure our government representatives into supporting a policy by using phone calls to demonstrate strong public support.
What are our demands? We are urging our provincial parliamentarians to level the playing field for renewable energy and provide municipalities with the funding they need to design long-term, sustainable heating plans for buildings.
Thank you to everyone who phoned their provincial parliamentarians and to those who continue to do so.
How many people do you know have ever called a parliamentarian’s office to request a specific policy?
It’s not too late to make your call. This phone zap will run until October 10 and then we will switch to a federal parliamentarian phone zap during our national conference .
- Here is the document with the full bilingual instructions.
- The New Mode dialer below will ask you for your address and phone number.
- It will look up who your provincial parliamentarian.
- When you click “make the call”, your phone will ring, you’ll hear a short message, and then be patched through directly to your parliamentarian’s office. PLEASE HAVE YOUR PHONE READY.
- If the NewMode dial system fails to connect to your provincial Parliamentarian, do the phone call manually to your provincial parliamentarian and then inform canada@citizensclimatelobby.org that you have made the call and email so we can keep track of calls that did not go through the system.
- If you’d like coaching or have questions, join our Changemaker’s Call ( Wednesdays, 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET) we’ll walk you through the process.
- Here’s a recording of one of the calls so you can hear how it works and be empowered to make the call.
Why this action now?
Why now?
In the Trump era, the “One Canada Economy” approach is pressuring our governments to develop energy plans without a trusted trading partner. Provincial governments have significant authority over energy projects. By pointing to real-world examples, we are calling on our governments to adopt policy frameworks that save both ratepayers and taxpayers money—while preserving a liveable world.
LASER TALK: Make Renewable Energy Procurement Competitive
LASER TALK: Make Renewable Energy Procurement Competitive
It is a bit of a surprise to many of us that Canada can look to Texas as a model for further improving its approach to clean energy procurement. Texas has emerged as a leader in renewable energy, particularly in wind and solar power, due to its supportive infrastructure policies and streamlined permitting processes. Texas ranchers and rural communities have embraced wind and solar energy, enabling the state to rapidly expand its renewable capacity. This has attracted energy-intensive industries and contributed to economic growth.
To replicate Texas’s success, our governments should implement a fully competitive procurement process for all new energy projects, reduce regulatory hurdles, and expedite permitting to accelerate renewable energy deployment in full consultation with communities and in line with environmental standards and the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People (U.N.D.R.I.P.). Additionally, fostering a more favorable environment for private investment in renewable infrastructure—including battery storage systems—could improve grid stability and enhance the reliability of intermittent renewable energy sources.
By adopting these strategies, the Canadian Confederation can strengthen its competitive energy procurement process, leading to lower electricity costs, increased energy independence, and economic growth.
LASER TALK Fund Municipal Heating Plans
LASER TALK Fund Municipal Heating Plans
Heating planning is the process of preparing for how space heating in buildings will be managed at the neighbourhood, municipal, or regional level.
It has three key elements:
-
Assessing demand
– Evaluate current heating needs.
– Forecast future heating demand up to 2050 (or another planning horizon). -
Identifying heat sources
– Map current sources of otherwise-wasted and/or carbon-free heat.
– Explore potential additional sources. -
Creating a decarbonization plan
– Combine demand assessment and heat source mapping.
– Develop a feasible, step-by-step plan with 5-year sub-targets.
– Ensure widespread consultation and community input.
Why It Matters
Space heating in buildings is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canadian communities. Effective heating planning is essential to:
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- Improve energy efficiency
- Meet evidence-based climate targets
The Gap in Canada
We have learned from the Boltzmann Institute that while municipalities across Canada plan long-term for electricity needs, there is little data or funding available for long-term heating plans for buildings.
Municipal governments urgently need this support to prepare for a changing world. This is a low-hanging fruit: provinces and territories already provide funding to municipalities for other infrastructure planning, and heating should be included.
Our Recommendation:
We call on provincial and territorial governments to: Provide funding to municipalities to develop long-term heating plans for homes, businesses, industries, and public facilities — while ensuring these plans accelerate the decarbonization of heating systems.
Germany offers a strong model for how this can be done.
Notes on Constituents Advocacy
As a taxpayer, ratepayer, and constituent, your voice matters in our democracy. You don’t need to be an expert or dive into all the details. Your reasonable ask is enough. In our experience, parliamentarians are glad to hear from their constituents. If making a call feels uncomfortable, you can always phone after hours and leave a message.
ICYMI What about China?
What about China
In June 2024, the Rocky Mountain Institute reported that the cleantech revolution is accelerating globally, and China has been declared the world’s first “electrostate.” (1,2) Why? Facing a lack of domestic oil and gas, China is rapidly expanding its electrification efforts. These efforts continue at an unprecedented pace.
In 2025, in just one month (May), China added 119 GW of solar and wind. That is 30% of the entire global nuclear fleet’s nameplate capacity (393.4 GW built over 60 years). And get this… In just five months, China installed 244 GW of solar and wind (3). That is a staggering 62% of nuclear’s total nameplate capacity. By September 2025, China had installed more solar energy capacity than the rest of the world combined (4).
Thus, it should not be surprising that the International Energy Agency reported in March 2025 that China had reached its peak oil demand (5) and China’s greenhouse gas emission fell in the first half of 2025 (6).
Lastly, China has been experimenting with carbon pricing since the mid-2010s and launched their national carbon pricing system in 2021 (7).
References
- Webinar – The Cleantech Revolution (2024) Rocky Mountain Institute. Kingsmill Bond https://rmi.org/event/webinar-the-cleantech-revolution-eu/
- X-Change: The Race to the Top (2024) RMI, Strategic Insights, Kingsmill Bond; Sam Butler-Sloss; Daan Walter: https://rmi.org/insight/x-change-the-race-to-the-top/
- China Solar and Wind Installations Break More World Records (2025) EcoWatch
Paige Bennett https://www.ecowatch.com/china-solar-wind-installations-world-records-2025.html - H1 2025: China Installs More Solar Than Rest of the World Combined (2025) Electrek
Michelle Lewis https://electrek.co/2025/09/02/h1-2025-china-installs-more-solar-than-rest-of-the-world-combined/ - Oil demand for fuels in China has reached a plateau (2025) IEA, Commentary. Ciarán Healy; Rebecca McKimm; Ivo Walinga https://www.iea.org/commentaries/oil-demand-for-fuels-in-china-has-reached-a-plateau
- Analysis: Record solar growth keeps China’s CO2 falling in first half of 2025 (August 2025) Carbon Brief. Lauri Myllyvirta https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-record-solar-growth-keeps-chinas-co2-falling-in-first-half-of-2025/
- The development of China’s national carbon market: An overview (2025) Sci Open. Xiliang Zhang, Runxin Yu, Valerie J. Karplus
https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.26599/ECM.2025.9400015
ICYMI The Big Switch Saves Money
The Big Switch Saves Money
A 2023 Canada Climate Institute report found that as Canadians switch from fossil fuels to more energy-efficient electric technologies, they will save money on energy costs over time. Average household spending on energy is expected to decrease by 12 per cent by 2050. https://climateinstitute.ca/reports/electricity/
In September 2022, Mark Jacobson and his team at Stanford University calculated that transitioning 145 countries to 100% renewable energy would cost $62 trillion. However, the annual savings from switching the world to 100% renewable energy would be $11 trillion. Thus, the initial investment would be recouped in just six years.
https://web.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/Articles/I/145Country/22-145Countries.pdf
Deloitte’s Global Turning Point report (June 2022) concluded that a rapid global net-zero transition could add $43 trillion to the economy, while insufficient action could cost $178 trillion by 2070.
https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/issues/climate/global-turning-point.html
A major International Energy Agency report released on May 30, 2024, showed that the transition to net-zero emissions would result in lower global energy costs compared to continuing on the current path. The report also highlighted that the faster the transition to clean energy, the more cost-effective it becomes for governments, businesses, and households. https://iea.li/4aM2zNn
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