Greens Urge Support for Climate Change Bill

OTTAWA--The Green Party of Canada is urging all MPs to vote to go ahead with Bill C-311. “We are scant weeks from the Copenhagen climate talks, and Canada's Prime Minister has stated he will not attend and Canada will not support the actions required by the science.  The atmosphere is not interested in negotiating with humanity.  The vast majority of Canadians want real action, such as that set out in Bill 311,” said Green Leader Elizabeth May.

The vote in the House this Wednesday will decide if Bill C-311, the Climate Change Accountability Act, will be sent back to committee or whether it can be debated in time to pass and become the official negotiating position of Canada in Copenhagen.  The 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen takes place in December and has been called the ‘last chance’ to avoid ‘catastrophic’ climate destabilization by UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown.  French President Nicolas Sarkozy has warned that nations refusing to tackle climate change may face border tariffs or other trade sanctions.  “Canada is one of the last holdouts around the world refusing to recognize the urgency of the climate crisis,” said May.

Bill C-311 would commit Canada to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050, with 1990 serving as the base year, in line with recommendations from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). “A law mandating emissions cuts along with built in accountability is necessary to ensure this plan is followed through no matter what party is in power,” said Green Party Climate Change Critic Adriana Mugnatto-Hamu. “It is time to put aside partisan interests and move forward on dealing with climate change.”

“Passing a bill such as C-311 that sets firm targets and timelines allows the business community in Canada to start planning and strategizing for the future.  Industries in this country have realized that the Green Economy is the way of the future and they need leadership from the government in order to capitalize on it,” said May. “Stalling and waiting to see what others will do is not leadership and will only have a negative impact on Canada’s economy.”

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Contact:
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