Global warming is the single biggest challenge facing humanity today. For Canada, leadership on climate change will require changing the way we produce and use energy.
As a northern country, Canada is particularly vulnerable to global warming. Canada's Arctic landscape and people are already being severely affected by rising temperatures. Arctic sea ice, once considered permanent, is melting. The animals that depend on Arctic ecosystems, such as polar bears, are in danger of dying out as their living space changes beyond recognition. Many bird species are already in decline from the effects of a changing climate. The sustainability of northern communities is threatened.
As a developed country with one of the highest per capita greenhouse gas (GHG) emission rates in the world, Canada must be a leader in reducing GHG emissions both quickly and deeply.
We must use less energy to meet our needs through efficiency and conservation and shift to energy sources that do not emit carbon into the atmosphere. We need to decentralize our energy system in order to move away from large wasteful mega-projects to smaller more efficient local generation. And we must put a price on carbon that reflects its full social and environmental costs, and that applies broadly in Canada’s economy as soon as possible.
Action on Energy
Ask each candidate running in your riding about their commitment to the following action agenda:
• Set a price on GHG emissions no lower than $30/tonne carbon dioxide equivalent in 2009 and increase to $50/tonne by 2015, and to $75 a tonne by 2020. This price should be applied broadly in the Canadian economy, either through a tax or through a cap-and-trade system with a rapidly increasing proportion of permits auctioned. In either case, the revenues raised should be directed mainly towards investments in further actions to reduce GHG emissions, and used to offset any related cost increases for low-income Canadians.• Immediately recommit Canada to meeting its legal obligations under the Kyoto Protocol in compliance with the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act, with the understanding that penalties may be imposed on Canada for falling short of its 2008-2012 emissions reduction target.
• Commit to a 25 per cent reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions from the 1990 level by 2020, and an 80 percent reduction from the 1990 level by 2050.
• Within six months, adopt a Sustainable Energy Strategy that aims to transform Canada's economy to maximize energy conservation, energy efficiency and the use of low-impact renewable energy.
• Implement a Renewable Energy Action Plan that provides financial incentives and capacity-building measures designed to make Canada a world leader in the production of low-impact renewable sources of electricity, heat and fuels by 2020
• Immediately set a goal to achieve carbon neutrality in the operations of the federal government through improved energy efficiency of buildings and vehicles, renewable energy projects, avoided air travel, and high-quality carbon offset projects.
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