Question 1:
Scientists believe we have 10 to 12 years to make drastic changes to cut emissions, or face unstoppable climate change.
Do you and does your party accept the reality and urgency of this statement and what will your party do immediately (and differently from other parties) to address climate change?
In this Section
Judith Wilson
New Democratic Party
Judith is well known as a climate activist on the Sunshine Coast since the early eighties when she took a leadership role in fighting against fish farms on the Sechelt Inlet.
A New Democrat government will declare a climate emergency and put in place ambitious, science-based greenhouse gas reductions targets that will help stabilize the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. We’ll put these targets in legislation and ensure accountability by creating an independent Climate Accountability Office to do regular audits of progress towards our climate goals. Recognizing that putting a price on carbon is an important tool to drive greenhouse gas reductions at the source, we will continue carbon pricing, including rebates to households that fall under the federal backstop plan, while making it fairer and rolling back the breaks this Liberal government has given to big polluters.
Patrick Weiler
Liberal Party
I completely agree that we are in a climate emergency. It’s fundamentally important that we have an ambitious and credible plan to fight climate change. That’s why over the last four years the Liberal government has done more to address climate change than any other government in Canadian history.
The Liberal government led the negotiation of the ground-breaking Pan Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change with the provincial and territorial governments of the country – and continues to fight tooth and nail inside and outside of the courtroom to maintain it. This is a world leading response, and includes:
- putting a price on carbon across the Country which increases annually
- historic investments in public transit
- phasing out coal-fired electricity by 2030
- reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 45%
- on track to phase out fossil fuel subsidies by 2025
- bringing a ban on single use plastics by 2021
- historic investments in zero emissions vehicles and charging infrastructure, energy efficiency initiatives and in renewable energy
Altogether the government has committed over $74 billion in this aim, and it’s critically important that we continue to build on this progress. A re-elected Liberal government will build on this foundation with increased investments in these programs, as well as cutting corporate taxes in half for companies that are producing net-zero emissions technologies so we develop and deploy an effective response to the climate emergency. Our plan includes legislating 5-year targets to hit net-zero emissions by 2050; exceeding our 2030 emissions reduction targets; and a plan to transition to clean energy for environmental and economic success in the future.
Dana Taylor
Green Party
On June 17, 2019, the Canadian parliament passed a resolution declaring we are in a climate emergency. The next day, the Liberal government, supported by the Conservative opposition announced the approval, with public funding of at least $10-$13 billion, of the Trans Mountain pipeline, a project that will enable the expansion of bitumen mining in Alberta and, in turn, growth in Canada's climate-changing pollution. This is not treating the climate crisis as an emergency.
The Green Party has been telling the truth about global warming and climate change for decades. Alone among political parties, the Green Party has a climate emergency response plan that recognizes the scientific reality. We call it Mission: Possible. A Green Government will:
- Cut 60% of carbon emissions by 2030
- Work with Indigenous leadership and other parties to solve the crisis
- Cancel the Trans Mountain pipeline
- Make electric vehicles affordable and expand charging stations
- Renew the National Forest Strategy
The current federal target, the same one set by Prime Minister Harper in 2015, is too low and neither the Conservative nor the Liberal plan will achieve even this insufficient reduction, much less the target climate scientists say we must reach.
A Green government will pass into law a Climate Change Act requiring a 60 % cut in carbon emissions below 2005 levels by 2030, reaching net zero in 2050. To achieve this we must utilize every tool in the federal toolkit, including regulations, public spending and pollution pricing. Indigenous leadership is critical to the climate goals of Mission: Possible.
Gabrielle Loren
Conservative Party
As a 53 year resident of the North Shore, I am very aware of the environment and the changes that have taken place over the years; I am concerned about them. We need to seriously address this issue now. The solution to this problem is complex. We all have an obligation to aggressively attack the problem, but we must do so in a way that has the support and buy-in of our country, our community, and each individual member. We cannot make the plan costly or cumbersome to the point people disregard what needs to be done. I am committed to working with all stakeholders to develop an action plan that addresses climate change over the long-term, not just short-term bandage solutions. I believe the Conservative Party approach is the best one to effectively tackle this complex issue, and is different from the other Party plans and positions, as it recognizes all the stakeholders and how we must work together.
Our plan is multifaceted and will involve industry, businesses, and citizens together. Part of the plan deals with current businesses and emissions, as well as investment in green technology. One, we will set emission standards for businesses and industry; those who do not comply or exceed the emission limits will be required to invest funds in research, development, and adoption of emission-reducing technology within the industry. Our plan will be mandatory, and will apply to more emitters than the current government’s plan. The result is an immediate reduction of emissions and increase in investments in Green technology.
Two, we will implement a number of programs to reduce individual household emissions: the Green Homes Tax Credit (energy-saving renovations), Green Home Retrofit Code (green standards). These offer incentives to people to reduce their carbon-footprint.
Three, we will support other options as they apply to the building industry: Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ensure legal supports for ESPC in place), Net-Zero Ready Building Standard (establish net-zero buildings standard), Green Construction Options (encourage greater use of green products).
Lastly, we will provide incentives for green technology: Green Patent Credit (reduce tax rate on income from Canadian developed and patented green technology), Green Technology and Innovation Fund (private investment in new venture capital for Canadian green technology companies), Go-To Green Hub for Innovators (identify talent, information, resources and references).
There are also a number of additional actions we will take.
All of these actions together can significantly reduce emissions as well as lead us to greener living.
Gordon Jeffrey
Rhinoceros Party
I’ve been waiting for people to take the environmental issue seriously my whole life. I was the kid who would immediately pick up the candy bar wrapper his friend dropped on the ground. It annoys me that people want to waste time debating about what constitutes an emergency, and I find it sad that it takes fear of mass disaster to actually motivate other people to do even the most basic of things to take care of the world in which we live. I keep saying, “Who wants to live in a cesspool? Who wants a lungful of smog? If we put significant effort into cleaning up the environment and reducing emissions, the worst case scenario is a more beautiful and healthy world for both ourselves and future generations. How can one argue with that?”
Canada produces roughly 2% of the world’s emissions. It is true that if we get to 0% we will have virtually no impact on the grand scheme of things. But again, there is nothing wrong and everything right with cleaning up after ourselves. Furthermore, if we hope to influence other nations, we must do so from a position of environmentally moral authority.
One idea I propose is introducing a tax rebate to encourage large home garden plots. Grass is almost useless to us non-grazing mammals. Given that currently up to 85% of our food is imported from overseas, the benefits to growing our own produce are many. Not only will we have cheaper food that is more nutritious, but we will reduce emissions because less food will need to be transported over such vast distances.
Terry Grimwood
Canada Fresh Party
We can cut emissions significantly annually. We need an army 100,000 strong doing civil work.
Our rural Canada program of building Hubs (Read Pubs) every fifty (50) kilometers will support the workers.
Transportation in rural Canada will be by electric helicopters and Hydrogen vehicles.
Doug (Robert) Bebb
People's Party
Not all scientists see it this way. Many are skeptical. Recently 500 scientists sent a letter to the United Nations stating that there is no climate emergency. https://clintel.nl/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/ecd-press-briefing.pdf. The 10-12 year timeline is attributed to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is not a scientist. Ocasio-Cortez clearly misread the recent IPCC document, if she bothered to read it at all. Whatever the future might hold for climate change, it is likely already “unstoppable” because it is primarily the result of natural processes. Reducing Canadian CO2 emissions will have no significant effect on global climate. Even Elizabeth May has admitted this fact. The PPC is the only party with the stated policy of withdrawing from the United Nations Paris Accord. We will eliminate the federal carbon tax and allow Provinces to set any level of carbon taxation they desire.