2020 was supposed to be the year of climate action | View in browser.

  2020 was supposed to be 
 the year of climate action 

>> Call on the Canadian government to
stop delaying action on climate change

Dear John,

COVID-19 has overshadowed many other global issues, but governments cannot continue using the pandemic as an excuse to put off taking action on climate change.

Climate change is already having real and devasting human rights impacts. Its effects -- wildfires, floods, droughts, and dangerous storms -- are falling hardest upon those already vulnerable and marginalized both in Canada and the rest of the world, particularly in the Global South. This includes, but is not limited to, Indigenous peoples, women, and those in various regions of the Global South, the Arctic, and low-lying island states.

2020 was supposed to be the year of climate action. While COVID-19 has disrupted so much, it has shown us that in times of crisis we can and must act together to overcome shared global threats. Likewise, we urgently need a committed, collective and united response to the threat of climate change.

As with COVID-19, we must ensure that the rights of those who are bearing the brunt of the worst impacts are not forgotten. Millions of people are already suffering from the disastrous effects of climate change–from devastating floods submerging one third of Bangladesh to unprecedented wildfires on the US West Coast as just the most recent examples.

The Canadian government must keep its commitment to achieve ambitious and necessary emission reduction targets despite COVID-19, while working in a multilateral way to protect the rights of those already being most impacted by climate change today.

>>  Call on the government of Canada to take action on one of the most critical human rights challenges of our time.

This is the moment to shape the future we want. This is your moment.

Young people remain at the leading edge of climate action. Tomorrow is the next global climate strike and youth have found creative ways to continue their strikes during the pandemic.

>> Find out how to join the Sept 25 climate strikes and participate in other climate justice actions and events.

This video shows Amnesty youth members around the world speaking about why they are joining the climate strikes.

WATCH VIDEO: Youth take action for climate justice

 

In solidarity, 

Fiona Koza
Climate Change and Human Rights Campaigner
Amnesty International Canada