Lois Corbett, Executive Director of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, and Louise Comeau, Executive Director of Climate Action Network Canada, co-wrote an opinion piece that was published in the Fredericton Daily Gleaner on Thursday, Sept. 25.
The piece was in response to Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s absence from the UN Climate Summit, and called for New Brunswickers and all Canadians to demand more action on climate change.
The full text of the article is reproduced below.
Harper’s absence is a good thing
Appeared in The Daily Gleaner, A9, Sept. 25, 2014
By Lois Corbett & Louise Comeau
Prime Minister Stephen Harper was a no-show at the UN Climate Summit. Sadly, that’s a good thing.
World leaders were invited to New York on Sept. 23 to build momentum toward signing a new international climate treaty in Paris next year.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper did not participate. It is sad to say, but we believe this is a good thing. Political leaders attending this summit want to advance climate protection. Since Prime Minister Harper has shown no interest in such an initiative, it’s better he stays home.
Canadians should see this as a sad state of affairs. We have so much potential to be part of the solution, we deserve a prime minister who would not only attend, but lead on this issue.
If we want to change this situation, then everyone, and especially we baby boomers, need to tell this government and all politicians – federal, provincial and municipal – that climate protection is a priority for us, now and when it comes to election time.
We need to show world leaders we are paying attention and we want them to support the kind of policies and targets needed to get the climate protection job done.
We need Canada to sign an international climate treaty with targets that prove we’re taking this problem seriously and are willing to do our part.
Here at home, we need to enact measures that will see Canada meet the 2020 target we set for ourselves in Copenhagen in 2009, which we’re currently slated to miss by a large margin.
To get back on track, we need federal policies that direct capital away from fossil fuel development and toward renewable energy and energy efficiency investments.
Canadians, and especially voting baby boomers, need to say ‘yes’ when politicians propose using taxation and regulatory authorities to signal that greenhouse gas pollution is not okay.
New England and California use market mechanisms to manage greenhouse gas emissions, as does the European Union.
Provinces have also started exploring options. Quebec directs a small carbon tax into a fund that supports green investments and has launched a cap and trade system in partnership with California.
British Columbia has a higher carbon tax than Quebec, reducing emissions without hurting its economy. Alberta allows companies to pay into a fund that supports projects for reducing greenhouse gases. Ontario is looking at options to further build on its phase-out of coal-generated electricity.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment just announced that climate change will be a standing agenda item.
All of this reveals our capacity to care for the climate is there, but we need federal leadership to reach our full potential. We have every reason to expect a federal government to support provincial efforts within the framework of a national and legally-binding target.
We have every reason to want a federal government that facilitates cross-Canada and cross-border collaboration, trading and investment in clean, renewable energy.
We must tell our government we want to show the world that Canada cares about climate protection. We need to send this message loud andclear every way we can.
Progress has been slow, dangerously slow. It’s time to pick up the pace; we are resourceful, creative and skilled. We have the power to change. We just have to decide to do it
Lois Corbett is executive director of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick and a member of Climate Action Network Canada. Dr. Louise Comeau is executive director of Climate Action Network Canada – R�seau action climat Canada (CAN-Rac), a coalition of more than 100 organizations from across Canada celebrating 25 years of working together to advance climate protection and to promote sustainable and equitable development. Both writers are baby boomers.