2015 Hottest Year on Record: National Climate Strategy Needed

(OTTAWA) – In response to the latest news that that 2015 was the hottest year on record, Elizabeth May has reinforced the need for the Liberal government to immediately put in place a National Climate Strategy to meet our COP21 commitments.

“Wednesday’s report confirms exactly why we worked so hard in Paris last December for a global climate agreement,” said the Green Party Leader. “Canada must take immediate action towards meeting our COP21 commitments and curbing this disturbing trend of ever-increasing global temperatures by putting in place a National Climate Strategy.”

At the Paris Climate Conference in December 2015, Canada committed to restricting planetary warming to 1.5° Celsius and investing $300 million a year for research and development on clean energy technology.

“That 1.5°C target is exactly where we should be aiming, but as it stands the actual policies being put in place will not allow us to hit that number. Unless we want to see more erratic, extreme, and record-breaking weather, we have to immediately get to work putting in place concrete policy measures,” concluded May.

The Green Party is calling for a National Climate Strategy that includes:

  • The elimination of all fossil fuel subsidies;
  • Working with provincial governments to put a national price on carbon;
  • Significant investments in an east-west electricity grid to promote renewable energy transmission between provinces;
  • Working with provinces to ensure the rapid phase-out of coal fired generation plants within Canada;
  • Stopping risky pipeline projects like Kinder Morgan and Energy East, and instead investing in clean technology jobs and green energy projects.

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