Dear John,

Like me, you’re probably relieved to be moving past 2020 and into better days ahead. But the past year has highlighted a lot of important issues that need to be addressed head-on if we hope to create a safer and healthier future for people living in Canada.

One of the many issues that demands attention immediately is how slow Canada has been to act on climate change. Despite our reputation as a global leader on climate action, we’ve missed every climate target we’ve set. And instead of decreasing over time, Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions are steadily on the rise.

Thankfully, the federal government recently tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act (Bill C-12) — which would hold governments accountable to ensure they deliver on emissions reductions.

But there are critical elements missing from the legislation. It must have legally-binding targets that are based on climate science. And, Canada’s progress towards these targets has to be regularly evaluated by independent experts to keep the government on track. We also have to get to work as quickly as possible, by setting our first emissions reductions goal for the year 2025 — instead of waiting until 2030.

Tell the federal government that without these improvements, Bill C-12 will fail to do the important job it’s meant to.

John, we have less than a decade left to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Join me in telling the federal government that health, safety, and justice for people living in Canada means passing stronger legislation that will keep the government accountable for their performance on climate action.

In solidarity,

Dale Marshall
National Program Manager, Climate