IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Faith group applauds federal government move to price emissions
Unceded Algonquin Anishinaabe Territories [OTTAWA]: October 23, 2018 – Today Prime Minister Trudeau announced that the “Government of Canada [is] fighting climate change with price on pollution.” This announcement acknowledges the significant urgency of climate action and demonstrates much needed federal leadership in Canada.
CPJ stands with colleagues in the Canadian justice and environmental movements to applaud the federal government’s follow-through on its commitment to ensure that there is a price on pollution in Canada – from coast to coast to coast – beginning January 1, 2019.
Given the recent weakening of the output-based pricing system contained in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, the delay in carbon pricing implementation, and the opposition to climate action of several provincial governments, we feared that this key policy step would be postponed beyond the next federal election. Today’s announcement is good news.
The federal government intervening in Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and New Brunswick – the four provinces that have not developed their own plans (or have canceled the plans of previous provincial governments) – sends an important message. Action to address climate change is not optional.
While issues surrounding the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion remain unresolved, the UN climate report released in early October appears to have caught the attention of the federal government. In the report, international climate scientists make it clear that the global community has just twelve years to implement necessary carbon reducing strategies in order to avoid catastrophic climate change impacts.
CPJ was pleased today’s announcement includes a 10 per cent “top up” to the carbon rebate for those living in small and rural communities – where citizens do not have access to emissions-reducing mechanisms, such as public transit.
CPJ understands creation care to be a significant part of our Christian calling. As such we celebrate today’s carbon pricing announcement. Much more is required, but pricing pollution is a step in the right direction.
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For more information, contact Deborah Mebude at deb@cpj.ca or 613-232-0275 x232.
