Dear Friend,
I hope you are staying safe and well in these very strange times. COVID-19 has forced amazing changes in Canada and around the world. Billions of people are – all at the same time – fighting the same enemy and taking the same precautions.
Last week we launched our call for transformative change, Reimagining Our Future. It’s an ambitious policy agenda which focuses on 10 key areas of renewal and includes several crucial calls to action for moving to a more resilient Canada.
It is too soon to speak of this pandemic in the past tense. But it is not too soon to take note of some lessons we have learned so far.
Even with these massive declines in global greenhouse gas emissions, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere continues to rise.
Verifiable science from Antarctic ice core data tell us that over an 800,000 year period, atmospheric concentrations of CO2 never exceeded 280 parts per million (ppm). Last month it hit 417 ppm – unprecedented over 23 million years!
As I said in parliament, if we are looking at a dashboard of warning lights flashing, the climate emergency light is growing in intensity and urgency, overwhelming the COVID-19 warnings as a threat to survival.
Canada must set clear targets to move to carbon neutrality by 2050. That will require at least a doubling of our current 2030 target.
Reimagining Our Future puts the science into action by moving Canada off fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy.
Science demands it, the economy demands it and Canadians must demand it, too.
Will you add your name to our plan, sending the message that aggressive climate targets are part of the recovery Canadians need?
Moving off fossil fuels as quickly as possible requires strong support to workers and communities dependent on coal, oil and gas; a Just Transition.
We aim to achieve this transition and our reinvented green energy economy through:
- An all-party Climate Cabinet, working together as we did during the pandemic.
- A Just Transition Act to protect oil and gas workers as they move to other jobs and careers.
- Launching a massive program in building retrofits – commercial, institutional and residential – employing millions of skilled tradespeople.
The good news is renewable energy – wind, solar, geothermal, run-of-the-river and tidal power – are making huge strides. They are more reliable and efficient than ever while prices have plummeted. Canada can have 100% of our electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
These investments will help our economy, distribute jobs and benefits across the country, while moving to a green energy future.
Elizabeth May