The beginning of December has been chosen by significant opinion leaders to address us about climate change.
December decisions
Pope Francis calls on COP 25 leaders in Madrid to show political will to safeguard healthy planet.
new commentary on Pope Francis's encyclical
“We must seriously ask ourselves if there is the political will to allocate with honesty, responsibility and courage, more human, financial and technological resources [to the climate crisis],” he said, in the pontifical message, which was welcomed by activists.
“Numerous studies tell us it is still possible to limit global warming. To do this we need a clear, far-sighted and strong political will, set on pursuing a new course that aims at refocusing financial and economic investments toward those areas that truly safeguard the conditions of a life worthy of humanity on a healthy planet for today and tomorrow.” He put particular emphasis on the role of young people, who “show a heightened sensitivity to the complex problems that arise from this emergency. We must not place the burden on the next generations to take on the problems caused by the previous ones.”1
Twenty-six CEOs and civil society leaders in Canada have sent a letter to First Ministers to tell Prime Minister and Premiers “time is now” for implementing a clean economy. Building a low carbon, high performance economy is a vital environmental responsibility. It is also a major economic opportunity for all sectors and regions of the country.
Transition Opportunities
As a diverse group of leaders from business, labour, youth, Indigenous and environmental organizations across Canada, we believe the time for us to capture this economic and environmental opportunity is now.
The evidence and the urgency for seizing this opportunity is all around us. Globally, the transition to a clean economy is estimated to be worth $26 trillion and 65 million new jobs by 2030. This will create opportunities in all sectors. Canada’s cleantech sector can tap into a growing global market set to double in the next five years. And boosting innovation and efficiency in the resource and energy sectors – in which Canada has great strengths – represents a $3.6 trillion opportunity by 2030. Becoming a leader in clean performance and innovation will strengthen our competitiveness, attract capital, generate good jobs, and improve Canadians’ quality of life – as summarized in a new report released today by Smart Prosperity Institute, entitled “8 Reasons for Canada to Transition to a Clean Economy Now”. Canada is well positioned to seize these opportunities. We have a highly skilled work force, strong entrepreneurs and innovators, world-class financial institutions, proven economic strengths in many sectors, and a population that is ready to act for a cleaner, better future. And we have already started. All around us we can see a shift towards emissions-free vehicles, greener energy, cleaner industrial production, and smarter, more efficient buildings.2
The threadbare climate and environment policies of Doug Ford’s Ontario government are insufficient to meet Ontario’s 2030 emission reduction targets and are riddled with errors and omissions, according to the province’s fiscal watchdog.
“Our audit concluded that the emission-reduction estimates in the plan are not based on sound evidence or sufficient detail,” Lysyk said in her 2019 annual report, which was released on Wednesday. Ford’s government moved to scrap the prior Liberal government’s cap and trade program, which was raising almost $2 billion a year, and began dismantling the broader climate action plan it funded within days after forming government following the provincial election held on June 7 last year.3
The expert advice calls us to seize the opportunity to attack the climate emergency with realistic action now!
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