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14 Canadian environmental organizations publish their campaign platform recommendations in the run-up to the federal election
Ottawa, May 7, 2019 — Canada’s leading environmental organizations, including Équiterre, published their recommendations today on how the political parties’ campaign platforms should address crises relating to climate, biodiversity and toxic substances in the upcoming federal elections.
These recommendations reflect the collective priorities of the organizations and offer solutions to major environmental problems that are being discussed with the federal political parties. The aim of this exercise is to help the parties define and commit to concrete measures.
Putting the environment front and centre in the federal elections
As Équiterre and its partners did with the Vire au vert campaign during last year’s provincial elections, this coalition seeks to ensure that the environment will figure prominently in all of the parties’ campaign platforms and during the debates.
Priority demands for the political parties
“In light of the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on the importance of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, it is crucial that Canada put in place a new and more ambitious climate plan to meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement,” remarked Annie Bérubé, Équiterre’s Director of Government Relations.
The coalition’s priorities include:
- Canadian climate plan: Strengthen Canada’s objectives for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and pass laws to help achieve these climate objectives.
- National standard for zero-emission vehicles: Adopt regulations requiring automobile manufacturers to ensure that a growing proportion of the vehicles they sell in Canada are zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs);
- Pesticides Act: Comprehensive reform of the Pest Control Products Act in order to better protect human health and the environment.
- Protecting the Gulf of St. Lawrence: Institute a moratorium on oil and gas exploration and development in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
See the full list of environmental priorities. ( in French only )
ASSESSMENT OF PARTY PRIORITES TO FOLLOW
At the end of the summer, the coalition will release a non-partisan assessment of the commitments made by all the political parties in light of the priorities unveiled today, so that Canadians can make informed choices at the ballot box.
Coalition members:
Canadian Environmental Law Association,
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS),
David Suzuki Foundation,
Ecology Action Centre,
Ecojustice,
Équiterre,
Environmental Defence,
Greenpeace,
Nature Canada,
Pembina Institute,
Sierra Club Canada Foundation,
West Coast Environmental Law Association,
Wildlife Conservation Society Canada,
WWF Canada.
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For additional information or to schedule an interview, please contact:
Ryan Worms, Director of Communications, Équiterre
rworms@equiterre.org - 514-605-2000
