THE SITUATION:
On November 19th, Justin Trudeau’s government introduced Bill C-12, the “Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act”. Promised in their 2019 election platform, the bill is meant to legislate a pathway to net-zero emissions by 2050 and provide transparency and accountability in relation to meeting those targets. Unfortunately, the bill falls far short of what is needed to tackle the climate emergency. That’s why we’re calling on MPs from across political parties to come together and amend the bill so that it works for people, with a whole-of-government approach to climate action that listens to science, respects Indigenous rights, creates climate jobs and leaves no one behind.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Require the government to set a 2025 emissions reduction target in line with IPCC science. The next decade is the most important for climate action. We can’t wait until 2028 or 2030 to set and be accountable for meeting science-based targets.
- Section: Targets and Plans
- Change Subsection: Target — 2025: (2) The Minister must set the national greenhouse gas emissions target for 2025 within six months of the day on which this Act comes into force.
- Change Subsection: Plan — 2025 (2) The Minister must establish an emissions reduction plan for 2025 within six months of the day on which this Act comes into force.
2. Ban fossil fuel executives from the advisory board. The fossil fuel industry has spent billions of dollars trying to undermine every single piece of climate legislation in Canada. We can’t afford to let the same people who funded climate denial and who authored the Harper-era gutting of environmental protections get their hands on this bill. Instead, we should ensure fossil fuel workers have a voice through unions and workers’ organizations.
- Section & Clause: Advisory Body
- Add to Subsection: Composition of body — No member of this body shall currently or have previously held a position of leadership in an organization involved in advocating against climate action or involved in the dissemination of information that questions the science, cause or scale of the climate crisis.
3. Align this bill with UNDRIP. The bill should require the Ministers of Indigenous-Crown Relations and Indigenous Services to set and meet goals for supporting Indigenous nations to be partners in climate action, similar to what the bill does for finance and environment ministries.
- Section & Clause: Targets & Plan
- Add Subsection: Working with Indigenous Peoples plan — When setting a greenhouse gas emissions target, the Minister must present a plan for implementing emissions reductions in full partnership with Indigenous Peoples.
- And/or Add to Subsection: Emissions reduction plan — An emissions reduction plan must contain: a plan for aligning emissions reductions with UNDRIP and working in full partnership with Indigneous Peoples;
4. Just Transition Accountability. The bill should include a requirement to set and meet the ambitious climate job creation targets that Justin Trudeau promised in the Speech from the Throne. We need to create more than a million good, unionized climate jobs, and this bill should require the Minister of Labour to be responsible for this.
- Section & Clause: Targets & Plan
- Add Subsection: Just transition plan: When setting a greenhouse gas emissions target, the Minister must present a just transition plan.
- And/or Add to Subsection: Emissions reduction plan — contents: 10 (1) An emissions reduction plan must contain:
- (f) targets for climate job creation and a just transition, as well as a plan to meet those targets.
CONCLUSION:
Like you, we believe in the need for strong climate legislation and climate accountability in Canada. By amending Bill C-12 along these lines, we believe we can take a major step in that direction.