Canadians voted for increased climate action, co-operation

OTTAWA — Josha MacNab, national strategy director at the Pembina Institute, made the following statement in response to the results of the 2019 federal election:

“From marching in the streets all across the country to marking their ballots, Canadians have made it clear they want more climate action and they want it before it’s too late. A majority of Canadian voters expect their federal government to do even more to fight climate change, including setting politics aside to co-operate with each other to bring the best ideas forward in the interest of all Canadians.

“The last government delivered the strongest climate action Canada has seen. As a country, we’ve made great strides in implementing the first national climate plan; delivering a coal phase-out by 2030 and accompanying renewable energy targets, methane regulations to reduce oil and gas greenhouse gas emissions, and a national price on pollution. In addition, with Bill C-69 Canada modernized how infrastructure projects are assessed, to restore public trust in major project decisions and ensure short-term decisions don’t stymie long-term plans to decouple economic growth from emissions.

“We’ve come a long way, but existing progress needs to be dialled way up and missing elements of the climate plan need to be addressed. In the near-term, Canada’s clean fuel standard needs to be taken over the finish line, we need to accelerate electrifying the transportation system, commit to zero-emissions buildings by 2050, and ensure the price on carbon is scheduled to increase past 2022.

“The new government will need to lead a national conversation about changes in the global energy system that project a declining oil demand. The impacts of disruptive technologies and decarbonizing global markets are being felt directly in oil-producing provinces like Alberta. Now that the election is over we need to trade polarized rhetoric for a plan that acknowledges the changing role for oil and gas and maps out a realistic future for workers who want meaningful careers during this time of upheaval.

“This is an all-hands-on-deck situation. All sectors — transportation, buildings, and oil and gas — need to do their fair share to reduce emissions. The climate crisis is urgent, and we look forward to working with all parties to ensure Canada’s Paris Agreement targets and the commitment to decarbonize by 2050 are met.”

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