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e-4318 (Environment)

E-petition
Initiated by Teegan Walshe from Qualicum Beach, British Columbia

Original language of petition: English

Petition to the House of Commons in Parliament assembled

Whereas:
  • Children born in 2020 will face on average two to seven times more extreme weather events than their grandparents. In a 2021 report in The Lancet, 83% of children worldwide reported that they think people have failed to take care of the planet . Those most affected by climate change are the youngest generation, as they will live to see the worst effects of the crisis; and
  • Youth discussion has proven crucial to successful climate action and policy creation. However, dozens of climate-related decisions are made without input from youth. Statistics around the world show that if youth were making these decisions, the outcome would be different. Children under 18 are not legally allowed to vote, and are therefore without legal voice or accurate representation in Parliament.
We, the undersigned, Citizens and Residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to
1. Require all Members of Parliament, regardless of party lines, to consult with a secondary or elementary school leadership, student council, or environmental youth group of their riding (i.e. under-18 youth representatives), before Parliament holds the second reading of any bill that directly affects Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions; and
2. The purpose of the consultation will be to listen to the viewpoints of those directly affected by the specified bill, but who do not already have representation in Parliament.
Open for signature
February 24, 2023, at 10:11 a.m. (EDT)
Closed for signature
March 26, 2023, at 10:11 a.m. (EDT)
Photo - Gord Johns
Courtenay—Alberni
New Democratic Party Caucus
British Columbia