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e-2794 (Taxation)

E-petition
Initiated by Eric Stark from Scarborough, Ontario

Original language of petition: English

Petition to the Government of Canada

Whereas:
  • We must remain below the 1.5 degree Celsius warming threshold to prevent catastrophic climate change;
  • Canada's current climate targets were set by the Harper government in 2015. They constitute approximately half of what must be done to limit global average temperature rise to 1.5 degree Celsius, as required under the Paris Agreement;
  • Climate Action Tracker, an independent international think tank, considers Canada’s projected emission levels for 2030 as “highly insufficient”;
  • As part of an integrated approach to address the climate crisis, economists agree that a steady increase in carbon pricing can be an effective way to transition to a low carbon economy;
  • The federal government scheduled an incremental increase to carbon pricing at $10 per tonne per year. This will end in 2022;
  • Canada's Ecofiscal Commission recommends an increase of $20 per tonne per year, past 2022 just to meet these “highly insufficient” emission reduction targets set by the Harper government;
  • Carbon price rebates give almost all Canadians, except for the top 20% of income earners, a net financial benefit.
We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:
1. Update Canada's climate action targets to reflect science and the IPCC 2018 report;
2. Begin to implement carbon price increases at $25 per tonne per year past 2022;
3. Establish a panel of experts to review the yearly carbon price increments and ensure that they meet Canada's climate action targets; and
4. Ensure Canadians become fully aware of the carbon price rebates through regularly issued cheques or direct bank deposits.

Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSON

The Government of Canada has a plan to fight climate change, drive clean economic growth, and build resilience to a changing climate. This plan includes pricing carbon pollution as a foundational pillar.

Pricing carbon pollution is the most efficient way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A well-designed price on carbon pollution provides an incentive for climate action and clean innovation, while also protecting competiveness and preventing carbon leakage. The Pan-Canadian Approach to Pricing Carbon Pollution, released in October 2016, gives provinces and territories the flexibility to implement carbon pricing systems tailored to their jurisdiction’s unique needs and circumstances, as long as they meet minimum stringency criteria. The federal carbon pollution pricing system applies in any jurisdiction that requests it or that does not implement its own system that meets federal stringency requirements.

Canada’s climate plan is working. Canada’s 2019 GHG emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy, reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030, the greatest drop in Canadian history. However, the Government of Canada recognizes that more action is needed. This is why the Government will bring forward a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal. As part of its plan, the Government will:

  • Create thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Help deliver more transit and active transit options;
  • Make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable while investing in more charging stations across the country;
  • Set legally-binding, five-year emissions reduction milestones based on the advice of experts and consultations with Canadians;
  • Appoint a group of scientists, economists and experts to recommend pathways to net-zero;
  • Support investments in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Work with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies;
  • Invest in reducing the impact of climate-related disasters like floods and wildfires to make communities safer and more resilient;
  • Complete all flood maps in Canada; and,
  • Plant two billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests.

The Government of Canada has committed to report back on our progress. The Minister of the Environment will report annually to Parliament on the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act. As committed under the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, we will also review the overall approach to pricing carbon pollution by early 2022 to confirm the path forward, with an interim report in 2020. These review processes will include consideration of the carbon price trajectory after 2022.

 

 

Open for signature
August 14, 2020, at 3:04 p.m. (EDT)
Closed for signature
October 13, 2020, at 3:04 p.m. (EDT)
Presented to the House of Commons
Paul Manly (Nanaimo—Ladysmith)
October 21, 2020 (Petition No. 432-00140)
Government response tabled
December 4, 2020
Photo - Paul Manly
Nanaimo—Ladysmith
Green Party Caucus
British Columbia