Federal party promises on climate: an overview

With extreme weather on the rise and affecting communities coast to coast, dealing with climate change and the environment has become an increasingly important part of each party’s platform.

Today, an overview of three ways each of the parties plan to tackle this issue. You can read more about each party’s commitments at the links included.

Conservative Party of Canada

• Introduce a zero-emission vehicle mandate which would require 30 per cent of light-duty vehicles sold to be zero emissions by 2030.
• Introduce a Canada-wide personal low-carbon savings account. Under the plan, Canadian residents would pay a surcharge when they buy fossil fuels. That money would then go into a savings account which would be earmarked for economically friendly purchases.
• Invest $1 billion in electric vehicle manufacturing in Canada, as well as another $1 billion in deploying hydrogen technology including hydrogen vehicles.
• Read more here

Green Party of Canada

• By the year 2030 reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent; achieve net zero emissions as quickly as possible, while aiming to be net negative in 2050.
• Cancel all new pipeline and oil exploration projects. Phase out existing oil and gas operations, so that they continue on a declining basis with bitumen production phased out between 2030 and 2035.
• Ensure that 100 per cent of Canadian electricity is produced from renewable sources by 2030.
• Read more here

Liberal Party of Canada

• Provide $5,000 to more than 500,000 Canadians to be used towards purchase of zero-emissions vehicles, in addition to making it a requirement that half of all passenger vehicles sold be zero emissions by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2035.
• Construct a net-zero electricity grid by 2035.
• Create a deposit return system for plastic bottles targeting 90 per cent by 2029.
• Read more here

NDP

• Reduce carbon emissions to 50 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030.
• Create a net carbon-free electricity system by 2030, and a completely carbon-free system by 2040.
• Ban all single-use plastics immediately and support workers in that sector by transitioning the facilities into new greener lines of products.
• Read more here.

People’s Party of Canada

• “Given the uncertainties over the scientific basis of global warming, there is no compelling reason to jeopardize financial prosperity with government interventions.”
• Withdraw from the Paris Accord and abandon greenhouse gas reduction emission targets.
• Abolish the carbon tax and allow provincial governments to adopt programs to reduce emissions if they so choose.
• Read more here.

Main image by Przemek Pietrak, shared under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license, resized from original.

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