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Just Earth recommendations to Parliament

Posted on Posted in Federal Actions, Letters
January 25, 2023
Dear Prime Minister, Ministers Leblanc, Guilbeault, and Wilkinson:
Just Earth is an environmental NGO, based in Toronto, a member of Climate Action Network. We seek serious action on climate change: evidence-based targets and accountability and are recommending that Canada, as a responsible member of the global community during a period of pending climate catastrophe, revise our emissions reduction target from 40% to 60% below 2005 levels by 2030.
Just Earth has studied the five reports of the Office of the Auditor General’s Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development and we are very concerned that according to those reports, so little has been done up to March 2022. Therefore, we urgently request that, given that the ministries concerned have agreed to the reports’ recommendations, Parliament enact those recommendations on an urgent timeline, including the following:
  • Ensure that all relevant federal departments and agencies are supporting a just transition to a low-carbon economy. (Canada is behind the EU, New Zealand and Australia!)
  • Direct Natural Resources Canada, in its modelling for hydrogen use, to consider feasibility of substitution fuels with emission reduction targets and timelines in mind.
  • Upgrade the Climate Lens tool used by Infrastructure Canada to employ clear, specific and internationally recognized criteria.
  • Work with the provinces and territories to establish and report comparable data on emissions to be made public in one location.
  • Regarding Greening Government, address the deficiencies reported; namely, that only 8 of 27 departments have emission reduction plans. (National Defence and Transport Canada especially need to redouble their efforts.)
Just Earth also requests, for the purposes of transparency, the regular publication of a graphic clearly showing national emission reduction trends year-over-year from the date of the Kyoto accord.
Yours truly,
(On behalf of Just Earth)
Joyce Hall, BA, M.Ed.
Lynn McDonald, CM, PhD
Cc: All MPs