Courtesy National Observer
With the election looming, do you know how each political party plans on combating the environmental emergency if elected? If not, we’re here to help you. In alphabetical order, here is where the four main parties stand on one of the most pressing issues our country and the planet faces.
Conservative Party
It’s no surprise that the Conservative Party has the least aggressive stance on climate issues, including their promise to reduce emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.
Notably, they also plan on increasing fossil fuel production by increasing offshore oil well subsidies, constructing more pipelines, and making protesting “critical infrastructures” like pipelines and rails illegal.
However, they do have a few positive climate policies in their platform including:
Enabling Canadians to save money every time they fuel up. These savings can go towards buying your first electric vehicle or making your home greener.
Making Canada a leader in zero emissions vehicles by building them in Canada, upgrading our electricity grid, and investing in new energy technologies like hydrogen-powered vehicles.
Reducing carbon emissions from industry and meeting our Paris commitment while keeping pace with the US and the EU.
Standing up for our workers and businesses through carbon border tariffs that push major polluters like China to clean up their act, while securing Canada’s growth.
Green Party
The Green Party, led by new incumbent Annamie Paul, is known for their aggressive stance on the climate crisis and unsurprisingly has the most fulsome plan of action of all the parties.
Their ambitious plan has the overall goal of helping the country reach “net negative” emissions by 2050, rather than the goal of “net zero,” the lesser target that’s more widely discussed publicly.
The “Green Future” section of their platform focusses on environmental issues across many sectors including transportation, fisheries, environmental justice, agriculture, and municipal affairs, among others.
Some of their more ambitious goals include:
Ending the extraction of fossil fuels in Canada.
Accelerating and increasing the carbon tax.
Developing a national renewable energy electricity grid.
Creating an independent, scientific, non-partisan, diverse Climate Council to advise the government.
Modernizing the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.
Liberal Party
A few months ago, Prime Minister Trudeau promised that Canada’s emissions reduction target would now be 40 to 55 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. This target is less than the Biden administration’s and is facing some criticism as emissions rose 3.3 percent from 2016 to 2019, according to the National Observer.
Overall they have the goal of getting Canada to “net zero” emissions by 2050, and have presented a plan that, on paper, can get us there.
Their key environmental promises include:
Ensuring the oil and gas sector reduces emissions at a pace and scale needed to achieve net-zero by 2050.
Requiring that all plastic packaging in Canada contain at least 50% recycled content by 2030.
Requiring 100% of medium- and heavy-duty vehicle sales be zero emission by 2040, where feasible. (This is on top of their June announcement that all new light-duty cars and passenger trucks sales be zero-emissions by 2035, accelerating Canada’s target by 5 years.)
Establishing and fully funding a Canada Water Agency in 2022, working with partners to safeguard our freshwater resources for generations to come.
Working with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis partners to support new Indigenous Guardians programs and establishing new Indigenous Guardians Networks.
New Democratic Party
The NDP and it’s leader Jagmeet Singh, frequently call out other party platforms for their low targets and shallow promises. Granted, their plan is promising a 50 percent emissions reduction target below 2005 levels by 2030, which is slightly higher than what the Liberals are promising, while overall, they are matching the Liberals with a 50 percent reduction target by 2050.
Key platform climate promises from the NDP include:
Establishing a new Canadian Climate Bank that will help boost investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency and low carbon technology across the country.
Making First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples full and equal partners in Canada’s efforts to build a low-carbon future, including encouraging energy sustainability in remote communities and equity opportunities for renewable energy projects.
Creating over a million new, good jobs, including jobs building green infrastructure in communities across the country.
Immediately banning single-use plastics.
Ensuring that federal transit funding flows with an emphasis on scaling up low carbon transit projects like zero-emissions buses and electric trains with the goal of electrifying transit and other municipal fleets by 2030.
ACTION ITEM: Sign this petition calling on all party leaders to deliver on a safe and just future this election.
