While today’s Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change is a much needed start towards reducing Canada’s emissions, it fails to hold the provinces to account and defeats its purpose by ignoring rising emissions from the tar sands.

Premier Christy Clark almost sunk the deal but says she received “flexibility” in the agreement, with BC getting to decide if or when it will increase its carbon price. This raises serious concerns that BC will continue to use laggard provinces as an excuse to delay climate action.

“Once again Canada lets the slowest province set the pace on climate change which is exactly what today was supposed to fix,” said Peter McCartney, Wilderness Committee Climate Campaigner. “More than ever the moment calls for bold leadership, but we continue to bow to the lowest common denominator.”

Clean electricity and gasoline standards come as Canada plans to ramp up its fossil fuel exports, a clear disconnect between the rhetoric and action on display.

“Canada is performing some serious mental gymnastics, pretending it’s a climate leader while dramatically ramping up the tar sands,” said McCartney. “We’re headed for a brick wall but we’ve got our foot on both the gas and the brake.”

The framework itself will require vigilance and accountability in order to see that reductions are actually made and that Canada commits to deeper cuts in the near future.

“Let’s not forget that the current government adopted the same weak targets as its predecessor and said it would exceed them,” said McCartney. “We need climate policy that is actually in line with the science.”

Using climate policy as a cover for new pipelines and tar sands expansion is out of line with both the goals and spirit of the Paris agreement.

“Canada’s have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too strategy completely misses the point,” said McCartney. “Humanity has little time to rid the world of fossil fuels and cooking the carbon books doesn’t change that.

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For more information, please contact:

Peter McCartney | Climate Campaigner, Wilderness Committee

778-239-1935, peter@wildernesscommittee.org