West Coast Environmental Law Association’s Executive Director & Senior Counsel Jessica Clogg issued the following statement in reaction to yesterday’s climate announcements:
“West Coast Environmental Law applauds Canada’s Prime Minister and Premiers for reaching agreement on the steps outlined in yesterday’s Vancouver Declaration on Clean Growth and Climate Change, and welcomes the First Ministers’ acknowledgement of the urgent need to avoid dangerous climate impacts by working towards the global goals set in Paris and to base our decisions on science.”
”The First Ministers have set a course and as Canadians we have our work set out for us. While details of the pathway to achieving a climate target consistent with our Paris commitments and informed by best available science, local and Indigenous knowledge were absent from yesterday’s announcement, we look forward to working with all levels of government to deliver on this goal.”
“In particular, West Coast Environmental Law has proposed the creation of a national climate science committee to advise the federal government and provinces in the development and implementation of national and provincial “carbon budgets.” We believe that such an overarching science-based framework for federal-provincial discussions has the potential to best enable the working groups set up by the First Ministers to achieve the level of ambition Canadians want to see in Canada’s climate plan.”
“A national framework on climate change can’t just mean a bunch of disconnected ideas that the provinces can all agree to. Ambitious targets and clearly budgeted allocations of emissions reductions will be required. We look forward to working with the federal government and provinces to establish such a foundation for a science-based, transparent and ambitious climate plan.”
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For more information contact:
Anjali Appadurai, Communications and Engagement Specialist
604 328 6443