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December 1st, 2019

Singh Visits Iqaluit, Calls for Urgent Climate Action

Tougher targets and community investment are key

The day before the United Nations 25th climate conference is set to begin, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh joined NDP MP Mumilaaq Qaqqaq (Nunavut) in Iqaluit and called on Justin Trudeau’s Liberals to take concrete steps to confront the climate emergency, create good jobs, and support communities experiencing the effects of climate change.

“Over the last few days, I’ve met Northerners who are on the front lines of the climate crisis, and who are feeling the impact,” said Singh. “We can’t afford more years of delay and denial on the climate crisis, where the Liberals hand out billions to oil companies while ignoring the climate emergency. Next week’s climate conference is a critical moment for Canada – the Prime Minister needs to commit to tough new emissions reductions targets for 2030 and stop the giveaways to his friends in the fossil fuel sector. We need to invest that money in our communities to help people adapt to the challenges climate change is already causing, and create good jobs for the future.”

During his visit to Nunavut, Singh met with regional Inuit organizations to learn about northern priorities. He heard from elders and artists, and toured an innovative, made-in-Nunavut project to improve food security. Singh spoke about his plans to tackle fossil fuel subsidies and introduce legislation with binding emissions reductions targets.

“We need to listen not just to scientists, but also to the people of the North for solutions. The people who live here – who have lived here for generations ­– know this land and the consequences of climate change better than anyone,” said Singh. “In Madrid, the Prime Minister needs to live up to his promise to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies, and show global leadership by committing Canada to a bold new plan to fight climate change and win.”

New Democrats have identified addressing the climate crisis as a key priority for the upcoming Parliament, along with reconciliation with Indigenous people, affordability and stronger health services for Canadians. Singh called for community investments to create good jobs for the low-carbon future directly with the Prime Minister in a one-on-one meeting earlier this month.

Background:

  • Currently, the 2030 emissions reduction target adopted by the Liberals is the same as Stephen Harper’s targets. Under the Liberals, Canada is on path to meet these inadequate targets 200 years late.
  • COP25 is the final United Nations climate meeting before 2020, the year where countries must increase the ambition of their emissions reductions targets and submit new climate action plans.
  • New Democrats are calling on the Prime Minister to show leadership at COP25 by announcing tough new emissions reductions targets for 2030 in line with limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees, and following through on Canada’s decade-old G20 commitment to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies.
  • In the upcoming Parliament, New Democrats will be introducing legislation to put these science-based emissions reductions targets into law. A version of this legislation was first tabled by Jack Layton in 2008 as C-377 The Climate Change Accountability Act.
  • Under the Liberals, Canada continues to spend around $3.3 billion a year on subsidies for big oil and gas companies, produce more greenhouse gas emissions per person than any other G20 economy and warm twice as fast as the rest of the world.
  • This Parliament, Jagmeet Singh and the NDP will be advancing a bold plan to fight climate change, transition to clean energy, create good jobs, and make life more affordable for families with retrofits, electric transit, and zero-emission vehicles.