Climate Impact Network

Sign our petition today: Make climate change a federal election issue!

 

Our request letter:

 

 

< To The Globe and Mail; CBC, CTV, Global/Shaw; and Maclean’s>,

 

Greetings, we are writing on behalf of student and community groups across Canada who understand the current and future impacts of climate change on our country and the world.

​

 We held a Pre-election Town Hall on Climate Change on March 2 2015 at the University of Toronto, with Skype connections on other campuses. The intention was for it to be a leaders’ debate and we invited the leaders of the Conservative, New Democratic, Liberal and Green Parties to come.

​

Taking part on that evening were MP Elizabeth May, Green leader, NDP Matthew Kellway and Liberal John McKay, MPs. Thomas Mulcair was keen to participate, but his acceptance was conditional on at least one other major leader accepting. Unfortunately, Justin Trudeau was unwilling to take part at any time; Stephen Harper did not respond to our invitation and his Environment Minister, Leona Aglukkaq, declined.

​

We now propose that a leaders’ debate on climate change be part of the election campaign, as one of the topics. We urge that student representatives be included as questioners.

There are several reasons why climate change should be considered as a debate topic of its own:

*More and more Canadians are aware of the severity of the climate change issue. Only last week, more than 25,000 Canadians rallied in Quebec to call the provincial and federal governments to action. Our atmosphere is no longer enough to hold all of the emissions being produced by the tonnes every day and the resounding rallies from across the countries are mobilizing more and more people to step up for their future.  

 

*In addition, faith communities are responding to the alarming nature of the issue. Pope Francis himself will be delivering a papal encyclical in June of 2015, representing the Vatican in showing their concern for climate change.

*Finally, provinces are acting on the issue. Quebec has implemented a carbon tax since 2007, and BC introduced one in 2008.  Ontario is on the verge of bringing in carbon pricing.

 

But where is the federal government in the global fight to sustain our future? The Paris UN COP21 climate negotiations begin on December 1st, only weeks after the federal election. This UN meeting in Paris is the deadline for the successor of the Kyoto Protocol, a binding agreement for heads of state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These international negotiations deserve the attention and full commitment of the Canadian government.

 

Therefore due to all of the above reasons, climate change should be an election issue.

If the election is held, as scheduled, on October 19, that leaves some six weeks to the opening of COP21. Environmentalists are organizing to raise the issue in the course of the election campaign. There are clear differences across the parties.

​

 As young people, we are the Canadians the most affected by neglect of our federal governments to deal seriously with climate change. Youth turnout in the federal elections has historically been low, but young people have the potential to make a difference in Canada's first-past-the-post system. We want and need to be heard.

​

Therefore, we urge you to consider the possibility of hosting a climate change debate by the leaders of the federal parties of Canada.

 

We would be happy to meet with you to discuss this further.

​

Sincerely,