Climate change

The Bloc states that:
– after years of warning, the IPCC now confirms that certain changes caused by the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere are irreversible; the climate emergency has become a climate crisis
– as the world’s fourth-largest oil producer, Canada has a singular responsibility when it comes to climate change
– the target of carbon neutrality by 2050 is incompatible with plans to increase oil and gas production until 2045
– Canada needs to accelerate its energy transition
– historic heatwaves; forest fires; floods; unusual weather that disrupts farming; and other effects of climate change are already being heavily felt in Quebec

The party advocates:
– amending the Carbon Neutrality Act to include the Canadian government’s greenhouse gas reduction targets for 2030, so that it is obliged to meet them
– a climate test for all federal policies, in order to measure their impact on the environment and climate change in all government decisions
– in connection with the climate test, imposition of environmental criteria when awarding public contract
– defense of Quebec’s environmental sovereignty so that Quebec’s stricter laws and municipal bylaws apply within the province
– introduction of green equalization to impose the polluter-pays principle and reward the efforts of provinces that are effectively fighting climate change
– federal funding to counter shoreline erosion, both that caused by climate change and that resulting from traffic on the river and seaway

Energy & Resources; Sustainable Development
In order to support transition to green energies, the Bloc advocates massive investments in ecological innovation, technological change and research and development in every region of Quebec, including:
– renewed demands for an end to fossil fuel subsidies, as Canada has repeatedly pledged since 2009
– redirection of Quebec’s share of the money invested in fossil fuels to clean energy in Quebec and provincial  research centers, while maintaining funding needed for the transition away from fossil fuels in Western Canada
– opposing creation of a pan-Canadian energy corridor encroaching on Quebec territory, whether it be an oil pipeline or transmission lines, bypassing or competing with

Hydro-Québec
The Bloc advocates:
– demanding that the federal government say no to all new interprovincial oil transportation projects, whether they involve export pipelines or increased rail transport
– as a first form of compensation for the Muskrat Falls financing and Newfoundland’s unfair competition with Hydro-Québec, the GST cease to be levied on household Hydro-Québec bills
– zero-emission legislation to oblige car dealers to maintain a suitable inventory of electric vehicles so that they are accessible to consumers
– an end to funding of Ontario-based competitors in Quebec, and instead contributions to Quebec’s electrical industry and to the project to make Quebec “the battery of North America”
– requiring that the federal government’s vehicle fleet be made up of 100% zero-emission vehicles
– scrapping the inefficient and polluting Canadian Hydrogen Strategy, and instead contributing financially to the development and promotion of the green hydrogen sector by Hydro-Québec
– opposing nuclear development, including small modular reactors, and any risk to Quebec of nuclear waste contamination from projects such as the Chalk River dump along the Ottawa River
– ending the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project and opposing any project to export oil from the tar sands
– to fight disposable culture, introducing a bill to prevent programmed obsolescence, including ensuring that that the Patent Act cannot be invoked to prevent the repair of recoverable products

Species, Diversity & Wildlife
The Bloc advocates an immediate ban on the use of pesticides that threaten biodiversity, including elimination of bee-killing pesticides such as neonicotinoids.

Conservation & Sustainable Development
The party states that Quebecers deserve to have the last word when it comes to projects that affect our environment and land use planning. It undertakes to refuse to allow Ottawa to impose pipelines, airports, cell towers, or other infrastructure without Quebec’s consent.

The Bloc advocates:
– re-introduction of a bill giving the government of Quebec the power to accept or decline any projects under federal jurisdiction which concern land use planning and Environmental protection.
– increased oversight of the rail industry, particularly as it relates to the transportation of hazardous materials, in accordance with recommendations made by Transport Canada following the Lac-Mégantic tragedy.
– public inquiry into lax regulation of rail transport.
– warnings for municipalities of hazardous rail shipments through their territory.
– a ban on any increase in the transport of oil through Quebec
– tax benefits to cover both energy-efficient renovations and electrification of heating systems in commercial buildings

Forestry
The Bloc Advocates:
– a vast project to modernize the forest industry to enable us to make better use of the forest
– extending the production chain through a support program for investment in wood processing companies;
– supporting research and development in the forestry sector;
– supporting projects for the biomethanization of forest residues;
– supporting local forest development initiatives: gathering, tourism, hunting and recreational fishing;
– funding through Ottawa to support the fight against the spruce budworm, in which the federal government has reinvested $ 75 million in the Atlantic provinces, but nothing at all for Quebec.

Stewardship of Creation
The party states that:
– it recognizes its responsibility to steward and care for the natural environment
– it will protect Canada’s air, soil and water from destructive contamination of man-made chemicals

Climate change
The party states that
– CO2 is not pollution; it is a beneficial natural gas needed by all plants
– CO2 as the cause of climate change is an unproven theory
– carbon taxes are just a tax grab
– the federal government cannot legally force the provinces to collect taxes
– carbon tax will do nothing for the environment

The party advocates:
– rescinding any federal carbon tax
– opposing attempt to block sunlight—“global dimming”—as has been proposed by some “geo-engineering” advocates in an effort to “cool the planet”
– the party states in this context that it also cares about the MORAL environment

Energy & Resources
The party states that:
– natural resources are given by God for the benefit of mankind.  Human beings are stewards (caretakers) of these resources have the responsibility to manage and preserve them for the benefit of future generations
– the extraction of minerals, precious metals and energy resources is a legitimate and vital industry
– resources—whether renewable or non-renewable—must be harvested or extracted in a responsible manner, with a view to the future and to ensuring maximum lasting value for all Canadians
– care must be taken to protect the environment and to make efficient use of non-renewable resources

The party advocates re-evaluating the use of coal as an energy source, in light of new technology.  With updated technologies, coal can again become a useful part of our mining and energy industries

Conservation & Sustainable Development
The party states that chemical pesticides and herbicides have an important role in agriculture and landscaping but more research should be don into effective affordable, and less invasive alternatives in pest control.
The party advocates careful assessment of studies indicating that application of certain man-made chemicals may be harmful to human, animal and soil health, rather than dismissal because the conclusions are inconvenient.

Mining
The party states that:
– the extraction of minerals, precious metals and energy resources is a legitimate and vital industry, beneficial to Canada’s economy and essential for the provision of materials for manufacturing
– of course, care must be taken to protect the environment and to make efficient use of non-renewable resources
– the use of coal as an energy source should be re-evaluated in the light of new technology. Coal can again become a useful part of our mining and energy network of industries with the use of updated technology

Species, Diversity & Wildlife
The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on species, diversity, or wildlife

Stewardship of Creation

The party states that:
– protecting the environment has always been one of its core values
– it was built by farmers, hunters, and anglers – people who respect and live off the land
– it advocates immediate investment in public transit project, that will put people to work, cut commute times, and clean up the environment

Climate change
The party states that:
– Canada must not ignore the reality of climate change. It is already affecting our ecosystems, hurting our communities, and damaging national infrastructure
– mobilization to meet this challenge inevitably lead to change, presenting challenges but also opportunities if we are smart
– it is committed to meeting Paris climate commitments and reducing emissions by 2030, without the taxing working Canadians and driving jobs and investment out of the country

Personal Carbon Savings Accounts
Recognizing that the most efficient way to reduce emissions is to use pricing mechanisms and that the country’s largest trading partner does not yet have a national carbon pricing system, as well as the shortcomings of the present state of global trade, which allows some of the world’s worst polluters to become free riders to the detriment of Canadian workers, the party advocates working with the provinces to implement an innovative, national, Personal Low Carbon Savings Account, which will:
– put a price on carbon for consumers with no money going to the government
– be completely transparent and engage consumers in the process of building a lower carbon future
– involve Canadians paying into Personal Low Carbon Savings Accounts each time they buy hydrocarbon-based fuel, deposited funds being available for application towards sustainable alternatives such as transit passes, bicycles, or green home improvements such as efficient heating, windows, or electric vehicles
– scrapping consumer carbon taxes. Wherever carbon taxes have been tried, governments have been unable to resist the billions of dollars they bring in
– savings levels will start at $20/tonne and increase to $50/tonne but no further

Zero Emission Vehicles
The party states that:
– public transit is important, but in some ways impractical for a large, northern country such as Canada
– reliance on public transit can also be difficult for parents and families
– therefore electric and hydrogen vehicles are essential to meeting national climate goals

To promote transition to zero emission vehicles, the party advocates:
– introduction of a zero emission vehicle mandate based on British Columbia’s, requiring 30% of light duty vehicles sold to be zero emissions by 2030
– working with the US administration and with the provinces to develop and implement electric vehicle emission and charging standards in North America
– investing in transmission infrastructure to cover all areas where it is needed and to ensure that the electricity grid can support the growth in electric vehicles
– investing a billion dollars to develop electric vehicle manufacturing in Canada, including investing in battery production, parts manufacturing, micro-mobility solutions and electric trucks
– investing a billion dollars in deploying hydrogen technology including hydrogen vehicles
– supporting improved electric vehicle battery repurposing and recycling in order to lower the environmental impact of these batteries and lower the cost of vehicles on the resale market

Industrial Emissions
In view of a regulatory framework already in place, largely a product of work by the provinces, and in order to avoid act effectively without unnecessary proliferation of regulation, the party advocates:
– proposing to the US administration minimum North American standards for key industrial sectors, backed up by border carbon adjustments to prevent leakage of emissions and loss of jobs to countries with lower environmental and emissions standards like China
– tying Canada’s industrial carbon price to that of our biggest trading partners – the European Union and the United States, starting with those regions that have carbon markets and expanding as the U.S. creates a national market, to ensure that Canada travels toward Paris targets together while reducing the risk that serious climate action will just shift jobs out of Canada to competitor countries
– assessing progress after two years and being prepared to set industrial carbon prices on a path to $170/tonne by 2030, but only if the combination of adopting a price based on that of our major trading partners and working with the U.S. on North American standards has not assured us that we are on a path to our Paris commitment

Carbon Capture
The party states that Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) is a key part of efforts to make Canada’s energy sector to become even cleaner and a major building block of the energy transition. To promote CCUS efforts, the party advocates:
– introduction of a tax credit to rapidly accelerate the deployment of CCUS technology in the energy sector and in important industries that have few alternatives to burning fossil fuels, like fertilizer and chemical production. This tax credit will include an early mover bonus for facilities that have CCUS in place before 2030.
– partnering with Canadian innovators to secure Canadian leadership in the field of Direct Air Capture, a promising technology that captures carbon dioxide from the air, through a $5 billion investment. Canada is a technology leader in this area, with possibilities for export to international partners

Natural Climate Solutions
The party advocates investing an additional $3 billion between now and 2030 in natural climate solutions focused on management of forest, crop and grazing lands and restoration of grasslands, wetlands, and forests, in order to help sequester carbon while providing protection for communities and additional benefits for wildlife.

In addition, the party advocates:
– recognizing and encouraging emissions-reducing practices like low/no till and 4R Nutrient Stewardship
– establishing transparent and reliable standards for carbon credits associated with land management practices with the eventual goal of establishing a national carbon offset market. This market would link together existing compliance programs associated with federal and provincial regulations
– exploring incentives to preserve and enhance natural infrastructure on private lands that contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation, with a particular focus on working landscapes with downstream impacts on populated areas
– working with provinces, territories and the agriculture and forestry sectors to identify and support ways in which the sectors can contribute to enhancing carbon sequestration
– investing in forest health and wildfire prevention and early detection
– working with Indigenous communities including by expanding the creation of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) managed and stewarded by Indigenous Guardians

Carbon Border Tariffs
The party advocates insisting that major polluters like China clean up their act, by studying imposition of a carbon border tariff which would reflect the amount of carbon emissions attributed to goods imported into Canada, exempting producers in countries with emissions reductions mechanisms that are compatible with our own

“First Five” Policy for Deploying New Emissions Reduction Technology
To help early adopters of new emissions reduction technologies, who are often subject to higher costs as they learn how to apply the technology to real-world situations, the party advocates adoption of tax relief to the first five facilities that use new technology that provides meaningful emissions reductions and has a high cost to build.

National Clean Energy Strategy
The party advocates adoption of a National Clean Energy Strategy including the following components:
– strengthening Canada’s electrical power grid, building a cleaner, more resilient grid that is adaptable to regional conditions and priorities, including strategies for developing and expanding smart grids, improving interties, increasing the use of mass storage, and developing and deploying new clean energy technology such as nuclear, hydrogen and renewables
– utilizing a serious approach to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) in engagement and partnerships within the energy sector, with respect to emissions intensity reduction, stewardship, and Indigenous partnerships
– explore ways to make Canada a world leader in the production of blue and green hydrogen, and use of hydrogen technology to contribute to a low carbon future
– making use of Canada world-leading low-emission LNG in the world to replace coal as a source of reliable base power, and to provide responsive back-up power for inconsistent renewables in the absence of adequate grid storage

To reduce emissions the party also advocates:
– creating an accelerated Impact Assessment process for projects that will reduce GHG emissions
– investing a billion dollars in Small Modular Reactors, to get this zero emissions source of electricity and heat to the point that it starts to be deployed across the country, including in the oilsands
– studying the potential for introducing new taxes on frequent flyers, non-electric luxury vehicles and luxury second homes to deter activities that hurt the environment

Clean Buildings
In order to building emission reductions by 2030 and achieve significant, broad-scale reductions in building emissions by 2050, the party advocates:
– providing a regulatory and financial framework for Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC) that involves the private sector in financing and implementing retrofits and then being paid back through savings, modeled on the SOFIAC program in Quebec
– working with provinces and territories to promote ESPC for government and publicly- funded institutional buildings, including a “2030 Bonus” that will provide an additional benefit for those buildings that complete their retrofits prior to 2030
– developing a Net Zero Foundations program to begin building foundations required to meet our net zero goals, including continuing to develop the building codes and standards necessary to support net zero goals for both new builds and retrofits; developing curriculum for trade schools and institutes that support building design and construction; improving certification standards; and developing initiatives to pilot new technologies and solutions that will lower the cost and speed up the pace of retrofits, particularly residential retrofits
– working with provinces, territories, and applicable utilities to implement a Residential Building Retrofit Initiative comprising an “efficiency concierge” service for homeowners that acts as a one-stop-shop to access programs and information; and applying lessons learned from technology pilots and from government, institutional and commercial retrofits, to a residential context

Energy & Resources
The party states that:
– it recognizes the massive contributions that the energy sector and its workers make to Canada, and supports the energy sector as a critical part of Canada’s economy. To that end, it advocates:
– in response to the loss of billions of dollars in investments over the last six years, due to competition from countries with much lower environmental, labour, and human rights standards than Canada’s, eliminate unfairness inherent in Bill C-69 by fixing its Impact Assessment process, based on bipartisan recommendations made by the Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment, and Natural Resources. These include upholding best-in-class environmental standards and setting clear expectations and timelines for environmental reviews and removing political interference from the review process; fast-tracking review of emissions-reducing projects
– working with First Nations and other Indigenous groups to ensure they are partners in prosperity and the development of natural resources by creating a Canadian Indigenous Enterprise Corporation, based on the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation, with an initial $5 billion of capital for investment in projects
– implementing a hydrogen energy strategy that rapidly increases the use of hydrogen – especially green hydrogen – in Canada and builds our export capacity
– ensuring adequate pipeline capacity by getting Trans Mountain built , maintaining the capacity provided by Line 3 and Line 5, and making pipelines that bring Canadian oil to export markets a priority
– implementing a federal LNG Export Strategy
– passing a Critical Infrastructure Protection Act to prevent protestors from blocking key infrastructure by amending s. 431.2 of the Criminal Code to create an offence of interference with an infrastructure facility or a public transportation system punishable by either summary conviction or indictment, depending upon the severity of the offence. Peaceful protest is a fundamental right in Canada, but respect for the rule of law means that illegal blockades that shut down critical infrastructure, threaten access to vital supplies, or endanger lives cannot be tolerated
– introducing a tax credit to rapidly accelerate the deployment of Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage technology in the energy sector and in important industries that have few alternatives to burning fossil fuels, like fertilizer and chemical production
– supporting Newfoundland and Labrador’s Offshore Oil Industry by investing $1.5 billion in an offshore rebound fund to spur the continued growth of the offshore oil industry

Natural Gas
The party advocates:
– introducing a Renewable Natural Gas Mandate based on British Columbia’s policy, requiring 15% of downstream consumption to be renewable by 2030, capturing methane from organic sources such as farms and landfills to reduce carbon emissions and create a renewable source of energy
– implementing a minimum requirement for 15% renewable content in natural gas by 2030

Low Carbon Fuel
To reduce emissions from gasoline and other liquid fuels, the party advocates:
– basing its Low Carbon Fuel Standard on British Columbia’s policy to achieve a 20% reduction in carbon intensity for transport fuels
– increasing the ability of the agricultural and forestry sectors to create land-based offset credits by improving the carbon sequestration of agricultural lands and managed forests, and incenting environmental protection in those sectors, generating emissions reductions at lower cost and protecting Canadian jobs
– allowing clean, carbon-neutral biomass energy, including wood waste or agricultural waste, to be eligible for carbon credits where appropriate
– recognizing existing legislation for Land Use and Biodiversity (LUB) and harmonizing with provincial rules
– piloting use of Canadian renewable fuels by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), a major user of fuel, with the goal of using CAF purchases to stimulate an increase in renewable fuel production in Canada

Mining

The party advocates:
– fixing the Impact Assessment process created by Bill C-69, basing our changes on the bipartisan recommendations made by the Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment, and Natural Resources
– implementing a Critical Minerals Strategy to take advantage of Canada’s abundant resources of the minerals needed to power our clean energy future, including adopting policies to facilitate the responsible exploitation and mining of lithium
– supporting new Initiatives to recover critical minerals from historical mine wastes while remediating the long-term environmental liabilities
– working to secure greater access to markets for our mining exports, including uranium exports to responsible countries for use in civilian programs to curb emissions
– adoption of a pan-Canadian low carbon aluminum purchasing policy

Conservation & Sustainable Development
The party states that it has a history of strong promotion of conservation, and a strong track record of creating parks and protecting critical habitats
– during its last term in office, the party committed to conserving 17% of terrestrial lands through protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures. As of January 2020, Canada had reached 12%
– it is committed to increasing this level to 25%.  However, the size of conserved land is only one consideration, location also matters.  In order to protect Canada’s most endangered ecosystems, which predominantly lie in the southern working landscape, many challenges will be faced:  much of the land is already in productive use, making it harder and more expensive to set aside, but protecting this land is essential: it can significantly benefit local communities and is important for things like flood and drought protection and carbon sequestration

To conserve lands in all parts of Canada, including the southern working landscape, the party advocates:
– reaching the existing target of protecting 17% of Canada’s land and water and working towards 25% with a focus on: using remote sensing to identify conservation gaps in the southern working landscape and gather data that can be used to determine the potential for lands to provide ecosystem services
– working with Indigenous communities to expand the creation of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) managed and stewarded by Indigenous Guardians
– restoration of funding for the National Wetland Conservation Fund and the Recreational Fisheries Conservation Partnership Program
– supporting the completion of the Canadian Wetland Inventory, exploring ways to protect wetlands on private lands
– creating a powerful incentive for agriculture and forestry sectors to protect the environment and sequester carbon by allowing for greater creation of land-based offset credits

Forestry
The party states that:
– the forestry industry is well-placed to be an important contributor to the fight against climate change. Land management, sequestration of carbon into long-lived wood products, and bioenergy are all pathways for this important industry to make a difference
– in order to realize these benefits, the forestry as a business must be healthy

To that end, the party advocates:
– resolution of the Softwood Lumber Dispute with the United States
– establishing a Task Force on the Woodland Caribou, working with provinces and local communities to propose solutions sensitive to local expertise and management
– increased funding to control pest species in national parks and federal lands
– in order to improve response to wildfires, investing in remote sensing and other technology
– working with Provinces, Territories, and industry stakeholders to develop plans to fight climate change and develop new wood technology and bioproducts

Water
To clean up water sources and protect water quality, the party advocates:
– ending the practice of dumping raw sewage into our lakes, rivers, and oceans, in cooperation with provinces and territories and municipalities
– tightening the rules on cruise ships in Canadian waters to align with Alaska’s rules and prevent sewage & gray water dumping
– reinstatement of the Lake Simcoe Clean-Up Fund, which funded over 200 community-based projects that restored fish and wildlife populations, planted thousands of new trees, and reduced harmful sewage and waste dumping before being cancelled in 2017

 Plastic Waste
To reduce the use of single-use plastics, minimize how much plastic ends up discarded, and keep plastic out of our oceans, the party advocates focusing on reducing the use of single-use plastics, ensuring that plastic products are produced in a more environmentally responsible way, promoting a circular economy, and ensuring that plastic waste is responsibly recycled and never ends up in the ocean, including:
– banning the export of plastic waste, rather than using other countries as dumping grounds, with exemptions for exporters who show that it will be recycled
– working with international partners to combat oceans plastic, and recognizing much of the plastic that ends up in the ocean does so because developing countries cannot afford to manage plastic waste properly
– working with provinces and territories to improve value recovery from plastics through application of suitable technology, including production of chemicals and renewable fuels

Species, Diversity & Wildlife
Animal Welfare
The party states that:
– more than half of Canadian homes now have a pet, and 90% of them see the pet as a family member. Yet, demand for pets from Canadians has led to the growth of puppy mills and other unethical actors, taking advantage of the nation’s love for pets
– many pets are abused, with their abusers often going on to harm spouses and children

To protect animals and the humans who care for them, the party advocates:
– banning puppy breeders and dealers from misleading the public by claiming to offer rescue animals or pets bred humanely when that isn’t the case
– banning the importation of animals bred inhumanely
– strengthening CFIA’s ability to enforce current regulations and seize animals when imported under poor welfare conditions
– banning cosmetic testing on animals, by amending the Food and Drug Act and its regulations to implement a ban modelled on the European Union ban
– to address links between violence against animals and violence against people, providing $10 million per year to train judges and prosecutors on the links between violence against animals and violence against people, increase cross-reporting between animal welfare and child welfare agencies, and adding animal cruelty as an aggravating factor in domestic violence prosecutions
– working with the sector to ensure that there are better options for women to leave abusive homes without having to abandon their pets
– working with the Council of Ministers of Education to promote humane education as part of education on the environment and sustainability
– supporting and encouraging the closure of poorly regulated wildlife markets globally that carry an elevated risk of becoming sources for future pandemics;  and ending the importation of and trade in wild or exotic animals and their products that carry an elevated risk of spreading zoonotic diseases.

Fisheries
The party states that:
– Canada’s fishing communities feel beset by crisis, with critical stocks being endangered and new conflicts arising.
– resource users, whether Indigenous and non-Indigenous, commercial, and recreational, want to leave well-managed, sustainable fisheries to future generations, yet they are now more divided than ever and fearful for their future
– what is needed is unity in a common purpose: restoring and maintaining healthy stocks that support commercial, recreational, and cultural fisheries

To that end, the party advocates restoring calm and confidence to Canada’s fisheries sector by respecting the importance of all resource users and putting conservation first, including:
– prioritizing stock assessments, stock recovery planning and enforcement of science-based catch limits, which have been shown to be the most important predictors of well-managed fisheries, and ensuring that stock recovery plans incorporate climate change risks
– strengthen the role of advisory bodies in fisheries management to enhance cooperation between resource users to ensure that commercial, recreational, and cultural fishers can all have confidence in management decisions
– working collaboratively with Indigenous rights-holders and commercial harvesters to develop management plans which fulfill the rights recognized in the Marshall decisions, protect the sustainability of our fisheries, and ensure that coastal communities can continue to thrive
– improving Marine Protected Area (MPA) designation processes by: ensuring that MPAs are focused on contributing to the sustainability of critical stocks; restoring meaningful public consultation to the MPA process; and exploring the feasibility of new models, such as dynamic MPAs, that will improve climate change resiliency
– working with stakeholders, First Nations, and regional jurisdictions to implement ecosystem-based fisheries management, including control of abundant predator populations which impact commercial and SARA-listed species, and updating and strengthening DFO’s national aquatic invasive species program to ensure that regulations are being implemented
– addressing illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, seafood fraud and ghost gear
– restoring community-based conservation initiatives like the Recreational Fisheries Conservation Partnerships Program, provide more support for hatcheries, and support public conservation education initiatives
– creation of a Canadian Seafood Development Agency to develop a long-term strategy and sustainable growth plan in partnership with the provinces
– working with governments and communities in Nunatsiavut, Nunavut, Nunavik, and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region to develop community-based marine fisheries, which will help create employment and fight local and regional food insecurity

Pacific Salmon
The party states that:
– Pacific salmon are part of the fabric of life for communities throughout British Columbia and are an essential part of BC’s marine and freshwater ecosystems
– some stocks are robust, while many are under threat

In addition to the fisheries commitments outlined above, the party advocates developing a Pacific Salmon Strategy focused on making measurable progress toward restoring at-risk stocks, including
– enforcing a strict timeline for the completion of stock assessments
– prioritizing funding for community-led habitat restoration, hatcheries, and other projects that support at-risk stocks
– ensuring the Salmonid Enhancement Program is sufficiently resourced to support at-risk stocks
– implementing mass-marking programs at BC fish hatcheries and allowing mark-selective harvest of salmon in BC’s sport fishery, protecting sensitive fish populations while maintaining the health of BC’s public fishery
– creating a pinniped management plan that will address threats to at-risk stocks in a balanced way and identify likely future threats due to climate change

Stewardship of Creation
The party states that as a core value it party believes that humans and every other species of animal and plant are integral and interdependent parts of a living planet, that when we degrade the Earth or any part of it, we undermine the integrity and viability of all life including our own. Our duty, then, is to live on Earth with the lightest touch possible.

Climate Change
The party states that:
– climate change is already impacting our communities.  Nearly 600 people died a sudden death from extreme heat in B.C. in just one week in 2021, more than the number of people who died in B.C. during the deadliest month of the pandemic
– the UN Secretary General described the August 2021 report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as “Code Red for Humanity”
– human activity is the cause and the solution. The IPCC reported that human-induced climate change is the main driver behind many weather and climate extremes, including heatwaves, fire weather, heavy precipitation, droughts, and tropical cyclones, in every region across the globe
– our actions caused global warming, but the actions we choose to take now can limit it as well
– we need to limit further climate change. The difference to our planet in holding global warming to 1.5°C global average temperature as against preindustrial levels cannot be overstated. While 1.5°C global warming will cause extreme weather and climate events, at 2°C global warming and above, such events will become much more frequent and intense
– under the current government, Canada has fallen further and further behind its international partners in climate action ambition and in doing its fair share:

• the UK has achieved 43% GHG reduction below 1990 levels and recently pledged to achieve 78% below 1990 by 2035
• the 27 countries of the European Union recently pledged to cut GHG emissions by 55 per cent by 2030 and have set out a detailed and ambitious climate plan
• Canadian emissions are 21% above 1990 levels, and Canada Canada has never achieved a climate target. Canadian GHG emmissions have risen in every year since 2016
• The current government bought a pipeline and have increased subsidies to fossil fuels
• Canada is now one of the top three worst per capita GHG emitters in the G20.

– it has been calling for a non-partisan, collaborative approach to the climate emergency for years.  It’s plan is and doable and will secure Canada’s sustainable prosperity

The party advocates:
– achieving net zero emissions as quickly as possible, including ensuring a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 60 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030, with clear enforceable targets and timelines starting in 2023; and achieving net zero emissions as quickly as possible, while aiming to be net negative in 2050
– ending all production of fossil fuels, including cancelling all new pipeline projects (beginning with TMX; cancelling all new oil exploration projects; ending leasing of federal lands for fossil fuel production and retiring existing licenses; banning hydraulic fracturing (fracking); ending all subsidies to the fossil fuel sector; phasing out existing oil and gas operations, so that they continue on a declining basis with bitumen production phased out between 2030 and 2035; requiring federal public investment funds (including the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board) to divest from fossil fuels; and ensuring that companies are held accountable for paying for the costs of cleaning up and restoring land, instead of passing these to the public
– supporting a just transition to a green economy for workers, families, and communities

Carbon Negative
The party advocates:
– developing plans and policies to go carbon negative, taking up the challenge of reducing the total amount of CO2 accumulated in the atmosphere and placing Canada on a new path towards addressing the climate emergency
– using skills and knowledge from the oil and gas industry to become world leaders in new technologies

Energy & Resources
The party advocates:
– developing a national renewable energy electricity grid, ensuring that 100 per cent of Canadian electricity is produced from renewable sources by 2030
– creating a national coast to coast-to-coast energy corridor for green renewable energy by building up the inter-ties needed to link existing provincial grids
– implementing a national, non-emitting electricity grid to help Canada meet its target of net-zero GHG emissions
– instituting a ban on the development of new nuclear power in Canada

Conservation & Sustainable Development
The party states that:
– Canada has a global responsibility to conserve nature due to our high standard of living as well as our abundant natural resources
– global resources are unevenly distributed – Canada stewards 20% of the earth’s wild forests, 24% of its wetlands and almost one third of its stored land carbon
– Canadians overwhelmingly support protecting our abundant natural resources and a few key national policies would result in significant direct and indirect environmental, economic and social benefits in Canada and abroad

The party advocates:
– protecting and restore biodiversity and ecosystems, including support for Indigenous-led protected and conservation areas and funding stewardship of these lands and waters by Indigenous guardians
– implementing Canada’s international commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity and follow-up protocols
– protecting a minimum of 30 per cent of freshwaters and lands in each Canadian ecosystem by 2030 and 50 per cent by 2050, prioritizing carbon-rich ecosystems
– halting habitat destruction by 2030 and restore the most negatively affected ecosystems such as wetlands by 2050, prioritizing carbon-rich ecosystems
– expediting recovery plans and implementing national and international commitments to reverse species loss
– scaled-up funding for nature-based solutions
– initiating a national urban biodiversity regeneration strategy to expand greenspace, address environmental racism and protect urban-sensitive species such as birds
– enhancing federal science capacity to inventory and prioritize ecosystems, species at risk, and invasive species
– modernizing the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, including ensuring the right to a healthy environment, enforceable in law
– preventing exposures to toxins and pollution by requiring labelling of chemicals and GMOs in consumer products, including cosmetics, cleaners and furniture
– developing and implementing a National Forest Strategy, including creation of fire breaks and fire suppression, provision of physical resources to deal with fires quickly and effectively, and including fire mitigation subsidies to owners of rural properties, allowing them to better manage the health of their forests

To protect old-growth forests, the party advocates:
– working with the provinces and First Nations to put an immediate halt to the logging of endangered old growth ecosystems. Old growth forests provide ecosystem services both measurable and beyond what can be measured, and hold spiritual and physical significance to Indigenous Peoples
– prioritizing and funding the long-term protection of endangered old growth forest ecosystems as a key component of Canada’s climate action plan and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples
– working with First Nations to protect the Canadian boreal forest as part of the climate action plan
– supporting  value added forestry industry initiatives in partnership with First Nations aimed at ensuring that Canada can have a sustainable and vibrant forestry industry based on the harvesting of second and third growth forests
– banning the export of raw logs and maximize the use of resources for local jobs

To protect oceans and freshwater, the party advocates:
– including Indigenous Peoples and their governance systems in all aspects of site selection, management, and decision-making around economic development within the marine and freshwater realms
– transitioning to sustainable seafood, including  by working with Indigenous and provincial governments to phase out open net-pen finfish aquaculture in Pacific waters by 2025 and all Canadian waters by 2030; supporting a just transition of impacted workers, and incentivizing the move to land-based closed containment facilities
– reducing threats to ocean ecosystems, including supporting a moratorium on deep seabed mining at least until 2030
– protecting and restoring coastal and marine areas, and support marine nature-based climate solutions

Sustainable Economy
The party states that:
– the renewable energy sector holds tremendous promise in helping to facilitate a just transition for workers in the fossil-fuel sector in Canada
– it is important to protect workers in regions that are still highly dependent on the fossil fuel sector for a significant percentage of their budget.  Provinces like Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland have been left dangerously exposed the volatility of global energy markets which they are unable to control, and are in desperate need of economic diversification
– with wise investment, these regions can use their energy sector expertise to capitalize on a variety of new opportunities in renewable technologies

To support a transition to a green economy, the party advocates:
– introducing a Just Transition Act that takes care of workers and communities during the transition
– planning for a fair and carefully planned transition of workers towards a decarbonized economy, that protects communities from displacement, and in which affected people (workers in greenhouse gas-intensive industries, Indigenous Peoples, marginalized communities) are leading the preparation of their transition strategies
– replacing every high paying fossil fuel sector job with a high paying green sector job through wage insurance, retraining programs and early retirement plans
– reducing wealth inequality in Canada, and ensuring that current wealth holders, particularly those in the fossil fuel sector, pay their fair share. Closing tax havens and loopholes to redistribute wealth towards communities that have been underinvested in
– introducing laws that incentivize green investment and the creation of green jobs (such as in sustainable transport and energy efficiency), and that disincentivize unsustainable investments (such as by raising taxes on environmentally harmful goods and services)
– investing in the cleantech sector and in renewable energy, which will create more, and higher paying jobs than those lost in the fossil fuel sector
– enacting legislation on green jobs training programs, such as the creation of a youth climate corps; for example, jobs related to ecosystem restoration, particularly for people who have been displaced or severely affected by COVID-19.

Waste Treatment
To support transition to a green economy, the party advocates:
– reducing consumption, waste, and planned obsolescence
– promoting green procurement practices (procuring goods and services that have a reduced environmental impact), as recommended by the United Nations Environment Programme
– promoting sustainable waste management practices, such as waste treatment, recycling, and safe handling of healthcare and biochemical waste, by adopting legislative provisions on issues including tax rebates or waivers on recycling initiatives
– proceeding immediately with regulations to ban non-essential, single-use plastics, and expanding the list of items to be banned, including championing a legally binding global plastics agreement, ratifying the Basel Ban Amendment and strengthening Canada’s rules for plastic waste trade to ensure Canadian plastic waste doesn’t pollute other countries

Agriculture and climate
The party states that:
– Canada needs to recognise the importance of agriculture and food systems in meeting our climate targets, and there is still a long way to go in reducing the system’s net emissions
– the agriculture sector is the third largest contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canada (after energy and transportation), with estimates ranging between 8 and 12 % of Canada’s total emissions. Nitrogen fertilizer synthesis, fossil fuel use, and livestock enteric fermentation are the main sources of these emissions
– agriculture GHG emissions have grown significantly since the nineties, driven by the growth of fertilizer use in crops and intensive livestock operations, and contributing to Canada’s lack of success in achieving its emission reduction targets.  These systems are supported by high levels of inputs of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, genetically engineered seeds, and large, globalized processing, marketing, and distribution
– transnational corporations have benefited directly from taxpayer-funded policies and programs and now control a large share of our food supply and how it is produced
– industrial production systems based on monocultures and intensive livestock operations are less resilient and more vulnerable to pests, diseases, and weather extremes
– with climate change and more extreme weather, we are seeing evidence of this vulnerability as drought and floods threaten farms’ survival particularly in the Prairies
– corporate buyers transfer most of the business risks to the farmers, who are the first to suffe
– industrial agriculture models have contributed to land degradation, biodiversity loss, water and air pollution, plant, animal, and human health threats. Factory farms crowd animals in poor welfare conditions and create an artificial abundance of animal products that contribute to unhealthy diets
– estimates of the amount of food waste produced by the system range from 30 to 50 percent while food insecurity persists, even in wealthy countries, including Canada, where the demand for food banks continues to grow
– scientists have been warning us for decades that, as a result of climate change, extreme weather events will become more prevalent, threatening crops and livestock. In 2021, the Canadian prairies are experienced what was perhaps the worst drought in the history of the country, together with unprecedented heat waves, with potentially devastating consequences for farms in the region and the communities that depend on them
– the vulnerability of national food systems is not limited to farm losses. Canada, with its large land area and relatively small population, is the world’s fifth largest agricultural exporter but, amazingly, also the sixth largest importer and the number one per-capita food importer in the world. This ranking is not because of bananas, oranges and coffee other things that cannot be produced in our climate. It is driven by our imports of massive amounts of other goods, mostly value-added, as well as ingredients for further processing which could be easily produced in Canada but we have chosen, by way of our trade and economic development policies, to source elsewhere
– labour and succession are also critical risks for this sector, which is increasingly dependent on temporary foreign workers and facing an aging workforce
– squeezed by low profit margins prevalent in the industrial model, too many farmers must rely on off-farm income to survive
– despite the current government’s narrative, investments in policies, programs, R&D, and regulatory modernization to support farming based on ecological principles, localized food systems, small regional value chains, and northern agriculture continue to be very limited in comparison. This constrains the development of these areas and hinders their competitiveness as the bulk of program dollars continue to prop up the industrial model

To address these issues, the party advocates:
– restructuring the $3 billion Next Policy Framework (NPF- 2023-2028) to shift program dollars from supporting corporate-controlled industrial agriculture to supporting agriculture that is based on ecological and animal welfare principles, including organic and regenerative practices, permaculture, localized food systems, higher welfare farming systems and short value chains
– recognizing  and acting on the enormous potential of carbon sequestration in soil and by implementing policies and programs that provide incentives for sustainably increasing organic matter (carbon capture) in the soil through regenerative practices while ensuring that these incentives are equitable, inclusive, and do not disadvantage small farmers
– restructuring business risk management programs to make them more equitable, inclusive, and responsive in helping farmers cope with climate risk
– reallocating research and development priorities, as well as investments in infrastructure to further strengthen support for local and regional value chains by the National Food Policy

 Agricultural Environmental Impact
The party states that climate change mitigation and adaptation are complementary goals. The changes that contribute to reducing emissions and retaining more carbon in the system – regenerative practices, diversified landscapes, moving away from intensive livestock operations – also improve adaptation by improving resilience in the face of drought, pests, diseases, and other climate-related threats.

Accordingly, the party advocates:
– investing in science, infrastructure, and business development that supports farming practices which both mitigate climate impacts and improve adaptation
– investing in supporting a shift to farming systems based on ecological principles, which work with nature and not against it
– working with the provinces to fund the research and development of environmental farm plans to help farmers protect wildlife habitat areas and marginal lands, maintain water quality in streams, lakes and aquifers, and retain and improve soil quality, increase carbon sequestration and decrease water requirements
– establishing climate change emission targets for all components of the food system, including nitrogen fertilizer use, livestock production and transportation, and food procurement in federal institutions
– re-establishing the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration measures to support adaptation to drought conditions
– to support humane and sustainable food systems, promoting more plant-based eating and reduced consumption of animal-source foods to levels the ecosystem can sustain, which is consistent with the dietary recommendations of the Canada Food Guide

Fisheries & Oceans
The party states that:
– the ocean plays critical role in maintaining a just, sustainable and healthy society, from providing seafood that supports livelihoods and good nutrition, to ecosystem services from flood protection, recreation
– record-breaking heatwaves and ocean acidification threaten the integrity of all ocean ecosystems, including shellfish and finfish fisheries they support
– Canada must ensure that our ocean industries and Blue Economy Strategy support the goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, reducing emissions from marine vessels, and advancing nature-based solutions in the marine environment

Reconciliation and Marine Conservation
The party states that:
– for tens of thousands of years Indigenous peoples have practiced their own forms of ecosystem-based management. However, the dismantling of Indigenous traditional governance systems and imposition of strict regulations on the lives of Indigenous peoples through treaties and statutes, such as the Indian Act (1876) and the Fisheries Act (1868), gave ultimate power and authority to colonial institutions.
– several treaties have sought to recognize and support Indigenous rights and title, but unclear interpretations of those treaties, paired with systemic racism, have given rise to conflict and discrimination against Indigenous communities over their fishing rights
– in Atlantic Canada, the 2020 Mi’kmaq lobster situation revealed racism and a weak commitment to Indigenous treaty rights through unclear interpretations of laws. In 1999, the Supreme Court’s Marshall ruling recognized First Nations’ rights to earn a moderate living from fishing, however the definition of moderate living has yet to be defined by the government

To further Reconciliation through all marine sectors, and empower Indigenous leadership in the conservation and management of protected areas, the party advocates:
– in partnership with Indigenous governments and organizations, developing a National Framework for Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) that includes collaborative governance arrangements, co-management decision-making bodies, and supporting administrative structures
– investing in Indigenous-led sustainable ocean economies and Indigenous Guardians Programs
– including Indigenous Peoples, their worldviews, knowledge, and governance systems in all aspects of design, site selection, management, and decision making around economic development within the marine and freshwater realms of their territories
– facilitating and supporting meaningful Nation-to-Nation engagement at the local and regional levels on the management of shared marine resources to avoid future disputes over lack of clarity on fisheries law 

Sustainable Seafood
The party states that:
– many of Canada’s marine fisheries are at risk of over-exploitation due to suboptimal management or lack of data. Only 34% of Canada’s fisheries are stable, 13% are known to be in critical condition, and there is not enough data for the remaining fisheries
– Canada’s geography and federalist system of governance presents unique challenges where certain marine areas and fisheries might span municipal, provincial, and federal jurisdiction. There currently exist policy inconsistencies among Canada’s different coasts; for example, while the Atlantic inshore fishery has protections against corporate control, in British Columbia fishing licences and quotas can be owned by investors and fish processing companies, which means that Canadian fish can be processed in other countries
– fair and consistent fisheries policies must be applied to all fishers, whether in the Atlantic, Arctic or the Pacific, to protect local communities whose livelihoods depend on Canadian fisheries. Canadian fishers must be protected from predatory systems that privilege large corporate interests allowed to hold licences
– aquaculture may be sustainable in several contexts, however certain types of seafood farming can be environmentally harmful. In the case of open net-pen farmed salmon on the coast of British Columbia, the extremely high densities of fish have caused disease outbreaks among the farmed fish which gets transmitted to important wild salmon populations migrating near the farm sites

The party advocates:
– allocating funding to fill knowledge gaps for stocks whose sustainability status is uncertain, and where stock assessments have not been completed within a five-year period, including funding for field surveys, assessments, mortality estimates and monitoring and evaluation of rebuilding plans and management measures
– completion of rebuilding plans by 2024 for the 26 stocks currently in the critical zone by including measures and objectives that are science and ecosystem based
– working with Indigenous and provincial governments to phase out open net-pen finfish aquaculture in Pacific waters by 2025 and all Canadian waters by 2030
– supporting a just transition of impacted workers and incentivizing the move to land-based closed containment facilities
– supporting sustainable shellfish and seaweed aquaculture and community-owned operations and ensure meaningful engagement with Indigenous communities and other stakeholders when making aquaculture siting decisions
– protecting independent harvesters and coastal communities by entrenching owner-operator and fleet separation policies in the Fisheries Act
– committing to timely and transparent access to fisheries management plans and data as well as records of fisheries management advisory committee processes in order to more effectively involve Indigenous peoples, civil society and communities in the process of managing our fisheries as public resources
– implementing the 20 recommendations of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans report, West Coast Fisheries: Sharing Risks and Benefits

Ocean ecosystems
The party states that
– resource extraction such as deep-sea mining, and pollution from sewage and plastics are examples of the many threats to marine ecosystems. Noise pollution from deep sea drilling and shipping traffic threaten endangered marine species such as Southern Resident Killer whales, and plastics from household items and fishing gear alike entangle marine life and impact human health from the accumulation of microplastics in human tissues

The party advocates:
– finalizing a ban on single-use plastics by the end of 2021, and expanding the list of banned plastics to include other harmful long-lived plastics such as polystyrene
– requiring that all plastic packaging contain at least 50% recycled content by 2030 and supporting a shift to reusable products and packaging by (A) adjusting federal procurement practices and supporting municipalities that adopt equivalent or better reuse standards; and (B) introducing targets for refillable beverage containers
– implementing an Extended Producer Responsibility program for all companies making or selling synthetic fishing gear which would fund the retrieval of lost or abandoned fishing gear, commonly known as ghost nets, and the collection and recycling of old, damaged, and recovered fishing gear
– supporting a moratorium on deep seabed mining until at least 2030, in tandem with increased investment in deep sea science
– legislating cruise ship waste discharge standards that meet or exceed those of our coastal neighbours

Coastal and marine areas
To reverse environmental degradation and ensure the long-term integrity of marine ecosystems, the party advocates:
– accelerating Canada’s commitment to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity of 30% protected marine areas by 2030
– delivering a new comprehensive ten-year biodiversity strategy and action plan, with goals, measurable targets, and resources to halt and reverse biodiversity loss in the ocean by 2030 and fulfill Canada’s commitment to the G7 Nature Compact and UN CBD by the end of 2023
– committing permanent A-base funding for marine conservation, including the management of MPAs and stewardship of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas by Indigenous partners
– presenting a clear action plan to achieve this target that includes the implementation of minimum protection standards; completion of Marine Protected Area networks and new MPAs in five priority bioregions; and completion of all current proposed MPAs and National Marine Conservation Areas; and identify new Areas of Interest in the remaining marine ecoregions and bioregions.
– developing a Species At Risk Act (SARA) compliance plan with specific actions for all critical habitat protected under Section 58, including targeting all users of the critical habitat of each specific Species At Risk
– by 2025, completing independent scientific reviews of the effectiveness of recovery measures for all threatened and endangered species listed under SARA
– aligning measures under the Fisheries Act with potential measures under SARA for all COSEWIC-assessed species as part of species-at-risk transformation within DFO

Ocean-climate nexus
The party states that:
– rising sea temperatures and acidification threaten ocean ecosystems and the species they support
– rising sea levels will require proactive planning to mitigate loss and damage to coastal communities
– conversely, investing in the restoration and protection of marine carbon sinks such as marine sediments, kelp forests, seagrasses, and salt marshes and reducing emissions from marine industries such as shipping will have co-benefits for the oceans and human coastal communities

The party advocates:
– reducing greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 emissions, black carbon, Nitrous Oxide, Sulfur Oxide (NOx and SOx)), and methane from the marine transport sector, including shipping, ferries and fishing vessels
– setting the achievable target of 100% zero-emission vessels in Canadian inland waters by 2030 and marine vessels by 2040. All federally-owned ferries should be net-zero by 2035
– committing to zero-emission ports by 2030 through the development of port hydrogen hubs and developing ties to international ports to support the development of green shipping corridors and hydrogen export markets.  This should include a zero- emission port infrastructure fund and a commitment to have all marine vessels at berth connected to shore power by 2030 to dramatically lower port emissions while reducing harmful air pollution for communities living near ports
– committing to no further expansion of offshore oil and gas activity while implementing a just transition for offshore oil and gas workers by 2030
– developing a marine-focused Nature Based Climate Solutions strategy that integrates ocean-based carbon sinks (blue carbon) into Canada’s Climate Plan and emissions counting system. The strategy would include objectives, timelines and funding to prioritize protection and restoration of existing blue carbon sinks, supporting research to map and quantify blue carbon, and providing guidelines for evaluation of blue carbon in environmental assessments for proposed projects
– amending the Oceans Act and Fisheries Act to consider climate impacts on the marine environment and marine species and include climate change in spatial and fisheries management objectives. Conduct climate vulnerability assessments for marine species and habitats

Climate change
The party states that:
– as a major energy producer, the global shift to net-zero presents both a challenge and a great opportunity for Canada
– analysis conducted by the Bank of Canada and the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions suggests that decisive action is required to ensure Canada remains competitive during the global shift to net-zero
– inaction could, in some scenarios, leave Canada’s GDP approximately 10 per cent lower than it otherwise would be by 2050. Canada’s future economic prosperity depends on the speed and scale of our response
– without the right policy framework, Canada could see underinvestment in critical areas and a slow pace of innovation in new clean technology

The party advocates:
– substantial measures as the next steps in the government’s plan to “crowd-in” new private investment by leveraging public investment and government policy. The goal of this approach is not to substitute government for the private sector, nor supplant market-based decision making. It is to leverage the tools of government to mobilize the private sector, without picking individual corporate winners in an effort to engineer a preferred vision of the economy in 2050.
– tax incentives and investment supports proposed in Budget 2023 were designed to set a framework for boosting overall investment, while leaving the private sector to determine how to invest based on market signals
– in order to ensure that investment happens where it will have the greatest long-term impact for Canadians’ standard of living and the reduction of our emissions, the government has focused on areas where Canada has a comparative advantage, and making investments that will have the greatest impact on Canada’s productive capacity and ability to create good middle class jobs

As examples of actions taken during its current term in office to build a clean economy and good middle class jobs, the party cites:
– implementing a market-driven approach to emissions reduction, including a carbon pollution pricing system that only puts money back in the pockets of Canadians, but is also efficient and highly effective because it provides a clear economic signal to businesses and allows them the flexibility to find the most cost-effective way to lower their emissions. It also increases demand for the development and adoption of clean technologies
– investing $15 billion in the Canada Growth Fund to incentivize private sector investment into projects and companies that will grow Canada’s clean economy at speed and scale
– investing $8 billion for the Net Zero Accelerator to make large-scale investments in clean technologies
– investing $4.2 billion for the Low Carbon Economy Fund to support the installation of emission-reducing technologies for provinces and territories, businesses, Indigenous communities, and other organizations
– investing $3.8 billion for Canada’s Critical Minerals Strategy, which will help make Canada a global supplier of choice for the critical minerals that are the bedrock of clean and digital technologies
– investing $3.9 billion to make zero-emission vehicles more affordable for Canadians and Canadian businesses, and to build new charging stations across Canada
– investing $1.5 billion for the Clean Fuels Fund to encourage investment in the production of clean fuels, including clean hydrogen and biofuels
– investing $4.7 billion for the National Trade Corridors Fund for investments in our ports, roads, railways, and airports
– investing $33.5 billion for the Canada Infrastructure Program to support new investments in public transit; green infrastructure; community, culture and recreation infrastructure; and rural and northern communities
– investing $35 billion for the Canada Infrastructure Bank to attract private capital to major infrastructure projects and help build more infrastructure across the country
– investing $2.6 billion for the new Canada Innovation Corporation, to support Canadian businesses in investing in research and development.

The party proposes to build on this foundation by:
– building a national electrical grid that connects Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast, and delivers cleaner, more affordable electricity to Canadians and Canadian businesses
– putting Canadian workers and Canadian businesses at the heart of essential global supply chains, and becoming a reliable supplier of the goods and resources that a net-zero world will need
– centering these efforts on (i) an anchor regime of clear and predictable investment tax credits, which will be broadly accessible to eligible organizations and will ensure that workers see the benefits of a clean economy; (ii) low-cost strategic financing; and, (iii) targeted investments and programming, where necessary, to respond to the unique needs of sectors or projects of national economic significance
– underpinning these efforts through pollution pricing systems and large-emitter credit markets

Carbon Capture, Use, and Storage
The party states that:
– carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) is a suite of technologies that capture carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to either store the CO2 or to use in other industrial processes, such as permanent mineralization in concrete
– during its current term in office it has announced design details of an Investment Tax Credit for Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage

The party proposes implementation of an Investment Tax Credit that includes:
– dual use heat and/or power equipment and water use equipment, with tax support prorated in proportion to the use of energy or material in the carbon capture, utilization, and storage process
– requiring projects storing CO2 in concrete to have their concrete storage process validated by a third-party based on an ISO standard prior to claiming the investment tax credit
– a recovery calculation for the investment tax credit in respect of refurbishment property
– these changes are expected to cost about $520 million over five years, beginning in 2023-24
– requiring compliance with labour requirements

Energy & Resources
By Mandate Letter addressed to the Minister of Natural Resources at the beginning of its current term in office, the party instructed the Minster that:
– the Ministry was to prioritize moving forward with legislation and comprehensive action to achieve a Just Transition [not defined], ensuring support for communities to create more economic opportunities for workers and families into the future and in all regions of the country
– the Ministry was to work with partners to develop and implement strategies to decarbonize regional electricity systems, grow the market for clean fuels and transform Canada’s building stock for the climate era
– the Ministry was also to move early to launch a Critical Minerals Strategy, ensuring that Canada’s natural resources would be developed sustainably, competitively and inclusively

Electricity
The party states that:
– growing a clean economy—nationally and abroad – will depend almost entirely on clean electricity
– Canada already has one of the cleanest electricity grids in the world, with roughly 83 per cent of its electricity coming from non-emitting sources such as hydroelectricity, wind, solar, and nuclear
– to preserve this advantage and position Canada to compete in the next generation of electricity-intensive sectors, such as clean hydrogen and green steel and aluminum, significant investments must be made today, to satisfy both industry and individuals.
– as electricity becomes the main source of energy, daily and seasonal demand peaks will become more pronounced. Canada will need to invest heavily in renewable generation, to meet this demand. At the same time, some renewable energy generation, such as solar and wind, can vary with the weather and season
– national electricity demand is expected to double by 2050, and to meet that increased demand with a sustainable, secure, and affordable grid, generation capacity must increase by 2.2 to 3.4 times compared to current levels

To support and accelerate clean electricity investment in Canada, the party proposes to introduce a 15 per cent refundable tax credit for eligible investments in:
– non-emitting electricity generation systems: wind, concentrated solar, solar photovoltaic, hydro (including large-scale), wave, tidal, nuclear (including large-scale and small modular reactors);
– abated natural gas-fired electricity generation (which would be subject to an emissions intensity threshold compatible with a net-zero grid by 2035);
– stationary electricity storage systems that do not use fossil fuels in operation, such as batteries, pumped hydroelectric storage, and compressed air storage; and,
– equipment for the transmission of electricity between provinces and territories

Mining & Critical Minerals
The party states that:
– as a global leader in mining, Canada is in a prime position to provide a stable resource base for critical minerals that are central to major global industries such as clean technology, auto manufacturing, health care, aerospace, and the digital economy
– for nickel and copper alone, the known reserves in Canada are more than 10 million tonnes, with many other potential sources at the exploration stage
– US legislation pertaining to critical minerals and electric vehicles in create opportunities for Canada, including in particular, requirements for robust supply chains of critical minerals that Canada has in abundance, to support acceleration of clean technology & manufacturing in the US
– to fully unleash Canada’s potential in critical minerals, a framework to accelerate private investment is required
– during its current term in office, previous budgets committed $3.8 billion for Canada’s Critical Minerals Strategy to provide foundational support to Canada’s mining sector to take advantage of these opportunities. The Strategy was published in December 2022
– in March 2023, it launched the Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund to allocate $1.5 billion towards energy and transportation projects needed to unlock priority mineral deposits. The new fund will complement other clean energy and transportation supports, such as the Canada Infrastructure Bank and the National Trade Corridors Fund

It proposes:
– a new Investment Tax Credit for Clean Technology Manufacturing to boost private investment in Canadian critical minerals projects and create new opportunities and middle class jobs in communities across the country

Clean Electricity Generation
To support and accelerate clean electricity investment in Canada, the party proposes to introduce a 15 per cent refundable tax credit for eligible investments in:
– non-emitting electricity generation systems: wind, concentrated solar, solar photovoltaic, hydro (including large-scale), wave, tidal, nuclear (including large-scale and small modular reactors)
– abated natural gas-fired electricity generation (which would be subject to an emissions intensity threshold compatible with a net-zero grid by 2035)
– stationary electricity storage systems that do not use fossil fuels in operation, such as batteries, pumped hydroelectric storage, and compressed air storage
– equipment for the transmission of electricity between provinces and territories
– in each of the above cases, labour requirements, including ensuring that wages paid are at the prevailing level, and that apprenticeship training opportunities are being created, will need to be met to receive the full 15-per-cent tax credit. If labour requirements are not met, the credit rate will be reduced

Clean Fuels
The party states that:
– while electricity is expected to be the dominant source of energy in the years to come, clean fuels— namely hydrogen, biofuels, and biomass—will be critical sources of energy where electricity would be inefficient or impractical. They will also provide middle-class jobs
– clean hydrogen is rapidly becoming a leading candidate to fuel long-haul road, marine, and aviation transport, as well as for heavy industries, such as iron and steel production; and Canada can help supply the need
– globally, the pace of development in the production and use of hydrogen is accelerating. However, it will require considerable investment before hydrogen can scale to the point of becoming a critical source of energy.
– biofuels, such as renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel, generate fewer emissions on a lifecycle basis compared to fossil fuels, and will also be critical to the growth of Canada’s clean economy. With abundant feedstocks, Canada is well positioned to grow its biofuels industry
– biomass, which is renewable organic material that comes from plants, includes wood and wood processing waste, such as wood chips, lumber mill sawdust and waste, and liquor from pulp and paper mills, is used for heating and for industrial applications, notably in the pulp and paper industry. It also presents an opportunity for rural and remote Indigenous communities in Canada to reduce their reliance on diesel fuel

The party proposes:
– a Clean Hydrogen Investment Tax Credit featuring levels of support varying between 15 and 40 per cent of eligible project costs, with the projects that produce the cleanest hydrogen receiving the highest levels of support. A further 15 per cent tax credit to equipment needed to convert hydrogen into ammonia, in order to transport the hydrogen.  Labour requirements will need to be met to receive the maximum tax credit rates. If labour requirements are not met, credit rates will be reduced by ten percentage points

Conservation & Sustainable Development
The party cites, among key conservation actions taken during its current term in office protect the environment, conserve nature and biodiversity, and respond to the threat of climate change:
– establishing a federal pollution pricing system that puts money back in the pockets of Canadians
– implementing programs to conserve 25 per cent of Canada’s lands and waters by 2025, and to conserve 30 per cent by 2030
– design of an Emissions Reduction Plan directed to a 40 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030
– providing more than $3.6 billion to protect nature and species at risk, and more than $1 billion to protect marine and coastal areas, including planting of two billion trees
– committing 3.5 billion to an Oceans Protection Plan for coasts and waterways
– helping Canadians purchase or lease close to 200,000 zero-emission vehicles since 2019 through purchase incentives of up to $5,000
– providing more than $1.6 billion to support Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy to help with disaster management
– to lower energy bills and make homes more energy efficient, providing grants of up to $5,000 for home retrofits and up to $40,000 for deep retrofits
– committing more than $600 million to preserve wild Pacific salmon
– supporting recovery of the Southern Resident Killer Whale, the North Atlantic Right Whale, and the St. Lawrence Estuary Beluga
– banning manufacturing of harmful single-use plastics, and working with provinces and territories towards a goal of zero plastic waste by 2030

Fresh Water
The party states that in view of the threat to freshwater caused by climate change and pollution, it is moving to establish a new Canada Water Agency and make major investments in a strengthened Freshwater Action Plan. To that end it proposes:
– provision of $650 million over ten years to support monitoring, assessment, and restoration work in the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, Lake of the Woods, St. Lawrence River, Fraser River, Saint John River, Mackenzie River, and Lake Simcoe, in addition to $22.6 million over three years to support better coordination of efforts to protect freshwater across Canada
– providing $85.1 million over five years to support the creation of a Canada Water Agency, headquartered in Winnipeg, and introduction of corresponding legislation

Species, Diversity & Wildlife
The party states that:
– during the Fifteenth Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, which led to a new Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, it announced new funding for biodiversity and conservation measures at home and abroad that will support the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework, including $800 million to support Indigenous-led conservation within Canada through the innovative Project Finance for Permanence model
– it proposes to provide $151.9 million over three years to Fisheries and Oceans Canada in order to protect whales, including the North Atlantic Right Whale, the St. Lawrence Estuary Beluga, and British Columbia’s Southern Resident Killer Whale, and their habitats
– it continues to work with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous communities and other stakeholders, to protect species at risk, including a proposal to provide $184 million over three years, starting in 2023-24, to Environment and Climate Change Canada, Parks Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Natural Resources Canada to continue monitoring, protecting, and promoting the recovery of species at risk to help restore their populations

Climate Change
The party states that:
– the climate crisis is here, and its effects are catastrophically impacting lives and livelihoods.  Temperature records are being smashed, uncontrolled wildfires are endangering lives and communities, and smoke from fires is blanketing major cities throughout the country. Excessive heat has taken hundreds of lives
– The climate emergency is a threat to the environment, but also a clear and present danger to the health and wellbeing of Canadians across the country
– the effects of climate change are being borne disproportionately by the most vulnerable people and communities
– the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has outlined the urgent need to limit global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius, and the House of Commons has declared climate change an emergency
– combatting this existential threat will take more than talk
– previous governments have missed every single climate target that has been set, and have presided over the worst GHG reduction effort in the G7
– European countries like Germany and France are releasing bold plans to kickstart sustainable economies, while Canadian governments in Canada have spent public dollars to purchase a bitumen pipeline and continue to subsidize profitable oil and gas companies
– with its leadership, Canada now has a Net Zero law in place. But that is only the first step

The party advocates:
– taking climate leadership, building on Canada’s new net-zero law, by setting an ambitious target of reducing our emissions by at least 50% from 2005 levels by 2030
– eliminating fossil fuel subsidies, implementing carbon budgets and changing the mandate of the Bank of Canada to focus on contributing to net zero
– creating jobs in all regions through green infrastructure investments directed toward a zero-carbon economy
– retrofitting all buildings in Canada by 2050
– creating a National Crisis Strategy to help communities reduce and respond to climate risks, complimented by a new Climate Corps of young workers to respond to climate impacts and build an equitable clean-energy economy
– improving transit and transportation infrastructure in ways to create jobs, strengthen communities, and reduce carbon emissions, including doubling the Canada Community-Building Fund and developing a public inter-city bus program
– committing to carbon-free power generation, with a target of net carbon-free electricity by 2030 and 100% non-emitting electricity by 2040
– enshrining in law an Environmental Bill of Rights and protecting 30% of our land, freshwater and oceans by 2030
– putting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – which is now law – into action in the collective fight against the climate crisis, and creating an Office of Environmental Justice to address the disproportionate impacts of pollution and loss of biodiversity on low-income, racialized and other marginalized communities

Energy & Resources
The party states that:
– it is committed to carbon-free power generation, with a target of net carbon-free electricity by 2030 and 100% non-emitting electricity by 2040
– at the current pace, it will take 142 years to retrofit all low-rise residential buildings in Canada.  It proposes undertaking a mission-based approach to upgrade all buildings in Canada where people live or work, including large-scale retrofits in all sectors, by 2050, starting with upgrades to all buildings built before 2020 in the next 20 years

The party further advocates:
– improving the National Building Code to ensure that by 2025 every new building built in Canada is net-zero 

Carbon-Free Energy
The party states that the International Energy Agency has called on governments throughout the world to dramatically speed up efforts to build renewable energy

The party advocates:
– setting a target to power Canada with net-zero electricity by 2030, and 100% non-emitting electricity by 2040
– to boost investment in renewable energy, establishing a new Canadian Climate Bank, including a mandate to support interested provinces in inter-connecting power grids and introduce smart grid technology, bolster national energy security, and distribute clean power across the country, and to support made-in-Canada manufacturing of renewable energy components and technologies, and help scale up Canada’s clean energy industry
– working to meet carbon-free electricity goals in ways that respect local communities and create good jobs, including support for investments in innovative community-owned and operated clean energy projects, and working in partnership with Indigenous and northern communities to move off diesel, improving energy security and cutting emissions and air pollution

Conservation & Sustainable Development
The party states that:
– it is committed to expanding protections for our natural environment, beginning with enshrining the right to a healthy environment in a Canadian Environmental Bill of Rights, to ensure all communities can enjoy a guarantee to clean water, land and air
– it will strengthen the Canadian Environmental Protection Act – building and improving on the recent Bill C-28 – to better protect Canadians from toxic substances in everyday products like cosmetics
– it will strengthen the federal environmental impact assessment process for new coal mines and mine expansion projects
– recent projections show that the impacts of climate change could cost the nation’s healthcare system billions of dollars over the coming decades

The party advocates:
– to reduce waste in landfills and communities, an immediate ban on single-use plastics, while protecting workers in this sector by supporting the transition of these production facilities to new products, and holding companies responsible for the entire lifecycle of their plastic products and packaging
– helping municipalities improve their waste management and recycling systems, and supporting improved standards for what products can be labelled as recyclable
– enacting new legislation to ban the export of plastic waste and helping reduce electronic waste by removing unnecessary restrictions preventing owners from repairing devices
– supporting Indigenous-led nature conservation and land-use and climate planning, including by growing the Indigenous Guardians Program and working hand-in-hand to advance the protection and restoration of wild Pacific salmon populations on the west coast
– focusing investments in forest management to help reduce forest fire risk, and encouraging innovation in forestry, including valued wood production and re-forestation
– taking enforcement action to support environmental remediation and job creation requiring big oil companies and other polluters to clean up messes like inactive wells
– because Indigenous peoples are best placed to protect cultural and biological diversity through control over their territory, working with indigenous governments, respecting Indigenous knowledge, and upholding Indigenous rights to protect lands, waterways and biodiversity, including making First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples full and equal partners in efforts to build a low-carbon future, including encouraging energy sustainability in remote communities and equity opportunities for renewable energy projects
– ensuring Indigenous people – as the original peoples and stewards of their territories. – a seat at high-level decision-making tables to help direct Canada’s efforts to confront the climate crisis
– because the effects of climate change and of pollution are disproportionately borne in marginalized communities, ensuring that climate investments are directed towards reducing inequality, honoring Indigenous rights and supporting communities, and creating an Office of Environmental Justice to address disproportionate impacts of pollution and loss of biodiversity on low-income, racialized and other marginalized communities.

Forestry

To support the forestry and wood products industries, the party advocates investing in forestry innovation and support for value-added Canadian wood products, and the good jobs that go with them

Oceans and Fisheries:

To support fisheries and coastal communities, the party:
– supports a vision of strong coastal communities, sustainable fisheries and thriving marine and freshwater ecosystems, to make Canada a global leader in ocean and freshwater sustainability
– to protect wild salmon on the Pacific coast, focusing on conservation, protection, and restoration of critical habitat, including full implementation of the recommendations of the Cohen Commission and working with the province of British Columbia and First Nations to support the transition to land-based closed-containment systems
– on the Atlantic coast, ensuring that resource allocations in the fishery are guided by the principles of adjacency, historic dependence and sustainability, while also respecting Indigenous rights
– investment in habitat restoration and the rebuilding of fish stocks, as well as response to oil spills and derelict vessels to better protect our coasts
– reducing emissions from shipping and fishing, expanding marine protected areas, reducing key threats to ocean ecosystems and implementing a national freshwater strategy

Sustainable Transportation and Infrastructure
The party states that municipalities are already making investments in public transit in their communities, but need a federal partner to champion public transit throughout the country.

The party advocates:
– modernizing and expanding public transit within and between communities across Canada, and ensure that federal transit funding flows with an emphasis on scaling up low carbon transit projects like zero-emissions buses and electric trains with the goal of electrifying transit and other municipal fleets by 2030
– helping provinces and municipalities that identify it as a priority to build towards fare-free transit to ease commutes, help people make ends meet and lower emissions
– developing a public inter-city bus system, along with high-frequency rail along the Quebec-Windsor corridor, expanded rail service options in other regions, and working to restore the Ontario Northlander to support the crucial transportation link for communities and businesses alike in Northern Ontario
– promoting use of zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs). As Canada moves towards 100% of all new car sales being zero-emissions by 2035, it proposes to extend federal incentives for ZEVs and provide a break for working families by waiving the federal sales tax on ZEV purchases, and to grow these incentives up to $15,000 per family for made-in-Canada vehicles
– expanding use of ZEVs in the public sector – including Crown Corporations – and by freight vehicles
– to make ZEV use easier for Canadians in all regions, building out Canada’s charging infrastructure and help people purchasing new or used ZEVs cover the cost of installing a plug-in charger
– creating a centre of excellence for research and development of ZEVs to move forward related technologies such as hydrogen, batteries, and energy storage solutions
– investigating opportunities related to green hydrogen fuel cell technology which could help reduce emissions for heavy trucks, freight, marine and aviation sectors
– strengthening the low-carbon fuel standard.
– promoting smart community planning and active transportation like walking and cycling, as healthier and more affordable options for everyone
– working other levels of government to encourage the use of electric bikes and their safe integration into our active transportation network

Agriculture
The party states that:
–  the manner in which crops are grown, livestock is raised, and food is used also have an impact on the climate, and on nutrition
– it will  work to connect communities to farmers through local food hubs, and develop a national food waste strategy to reduce the huge amounts of food that currently go to waste in Canada
– it will partner with farmers and communities to support biodiversity and to monitor and protect pollinator health

Species, Diversity & Wildlife
The party advocates:
– to protect ecosystems and biodiversity, protecting 30% of our land, freshwater and oceans by 2030
– expanding expand urban national parks and restoring urban biodiversity, and ensuring that the Species at Risk Act is enforced
– launching a 10-year nature plan to reverse species loss and curbing the import and domestic trade of wild animals

Climate Change
The party states that:
– it is an undisputed fact that the world’s climate has always changed and will continue to change. Until twelve thousand years ago, much of Canada was under ice, and it is thanks to natural climate change that we can live here today
– there is no scientific consensus on the theory that CO2 produced by human activity is causing dangerous global warming today or will in the future, and that the world is facing environmental catastrophes unless these emissions are drastically reduced. Many renowned scientists continue to challenge this theory
– the policy debate about global warming has been hijacked by proponents of big government who are using crude propaganda techniques to impose their views, and publicly ridicule and harass anyone who expresses doubt
–  CO2 is beneficial for agriculture and there has recently been a measurable “greening” of the world in part thanks to higher levels.  CO2 is not a pollutant. It is an essential ingredient for life on Earth and needed for plant growth
– given the uncertainties over the scientific basis of global warming, and the certainties about the huge costs of measures designed to fight it, there is no compelling reason to jeopardize our prosperity with more government interventions

The party advocates:
– withdrawal from the Paris Accord and abandonment of unrealistic greenhouse gas emission reduction targets
– stopping the transfer of billions of dollars to developing countries to help them reduce their emissions
– abolishing the carbon tax and leaving it to provincial governments to adopt programs to reduce emissions if they want to
– abolishing subsidies for green technology and let private players develop profitable and efficient alternatives
– investment in adaptation strategies if problems arise as a result of any natural climate change
– prioritizing implementation of practical solutions to make Canada’s air, water and soil cleaner, including bringing clean drinking water to remote First Nations communities

Energy & Resources
The party states that:
– radical environmental activists, funded in part by American foundations, have influenced the government to stifle the growth of Canada’s oil industry by preventing it from transporting and selling its products, for example by banning oil tanker traffic on the north coast of British Columbia, which brought the cancellation of the Northern Gateway and Eagle Spirit pipeline projects, and causing investors to pull out of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project and sell it to the federal government for $4.5 billion
– capital investments in the oil and gas industry have collapsed from $81 billion in 2014 to $37 billion in2019
– despite the emergence of alternative sources of energy, global demand for oil is expected to keep rising for several decades
– Canada has the third-largest oil reserves in the world and is well placed to answer this anticipated demand

The party advocates:
– because the oil and gas industry has been for decades a major source of employment, government revenues, and economic well-being for all of Canada, allowing it to grow, export its products, and bring prosperity to our country
– countering anti-oil and anti-pipeline propaganda from radical environmentalists and foreign foundations
– repealing Bills C-48 and C-69
– approving pipelines projects using a streamlined process
– finding a private buyer for Trans Mountain
– reasserting federal jurisdiction over pipelines construction by invoking section 92(10) of our Constitution, whereby Parliament can declare any project to be for the general advantage of Canada
– working with industry and American partners to revive cancelled projects and keep Line 5 in operation

The party has published no stated position on:
– species diversity & wildlife
– sustainable development