Church Teaching Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue:
it is not an optional or secondary aspect of our Christian experience.
Pope Francis, Laudato si’, 217
God gave humans dominion over the earth, thereby making us stewards of creation as we work with Him in His continuing act of creation.
We must constantly consider how our actions glorify or harm this wonderous gift God has entrusted to us. This is a multi-faceted question, which must not be over-simplified.
With a vocation to glorify all life which includes respect for the inviolability and integrity of life, humans find themselves in the presence of all God’s other creatures. We can and are obliged to put them at our own service and to enjoy them, but our dominion over the world requires the exercise of responsibility. It is not a freedom of arbitrary and selfish exploitation. All of creation has value and is “good” in the sight of God. This is a marvelous challenge to human intellect. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 112, 113
The Book of Genesis provides us with certain foundations of Christian anthropology, including the meaning of human activity in the world, which is linked to the discovery and respect of the laws of nature that God has inscribed in the created universe, so that humanity may live in it and care for it in accordance with God’s will. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 37.
Climate Change
There is urgency to this issue. Every Pope since at least Paul VI has written of our need to shift to a more responsible use of the earth and its abundant resources. The Church accepts that that need is now urgent.
“A very solid scientific consensus indicates that we are presently witnessing a disturbing warming of the climatic system… Humanity is called to recognize the need for changes of lifestyle, production and consumption, in order to combat… at least the human causes which produce or aggravate it. It is true that there are other factors, yet a number of scientific studies indicate that most global warming in recent decades is due to the great concentration of greenhouse gases released mainly as a result of human activity. Pope Francis, Laudato si’, 23
Energy & Resources
The good steward neither allows the resources entrusted to him to lie fallow or to fail to produce their proper fruit, nor does he waste or destroy them (Matthew 25:14-30). Rather, he uses them responsibly, for the Lord’s purposes, to realize their increase so that he may enjoy his livelihood and provide for the good of his family, his descendants, and his neighbors.
Humanity’s relationship with creation and the creatures of the earth “requires the exercise of responsibility, it is not a freedom of arbitrary and selfish exploitation.” Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 115
One of the higher priority issues in economics is the utilization of resources, that is, of all those goods and services to which economic subjects — producers and consumers in the private and public spheres — attribute value because of their inherent usefulness in the areas of production and consumption… Resources in nature are quantitatively scarce, which means that each individual economic subject, as well as each individual society, must necessarily come up with a plan for their utilization in the most rational way possible, following the logic dictated by the “principle of economizing.” Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 346
Because of the powerful means of transformation offered by technological civilization, it seems that the balance between man and the environment has reached a critical point… A reductionistic conception quickly spread, starting from the presupposition — which was seen to be erroneous — that an infinite quantity of energy and resources are available, that it is possible to renew them quickly, and that the negative effects of the exploitation of the natural order can be easily absorbed… Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 461, 462
Conservation & Sustainable Development
Care for the environment represents a challenge for all of humanity. It is a matter of a common and universal duty, that of respecting a common good, destined for all, by preventing anyone from using “with impunity the different categories of beings, whether living or inanimate — animals, plants, the natural elements — simply as one wishes, according to one’s own economic needs.”
Responsibility for the environment, the common heritage of mankind, extends not only to present needs but also to those of the future… This is a responsibility that present generations have towards those of the future… A correct understanding of the environment… at the same time…must not absolutize nature and place it above the dignity of the human person himself. In this latter case, one can go so far as to divinize nature or the earth, as can readily be seen in certain ecological movements that seek to gain an internationally guaranteed institutional status for their beliefs. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 361, 461-463
Species Diversity & Wildlife
Man and woman find themselves also in the presence of all the other creatures. They can and are obliged to put them at their own service and to enjoy them, but their dominion over the world requires the exercise of responsibility, it is not a freedom of arbitrary and selfish exploitation. All of creation has value and is “good” in the sight of God, who is its author. Man must discover and respect its value. This is a marvelous challenge to his intellect, which should lift him up as on wings towards the contemplation of the truth of all God’s creatures, that is, the contemplation of what God sees as good in them. Man must recognize all of God’s creatures for what they are and establish with each of them a relationship of responsibility. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 113.
“Each of the various creatures, willed in its own being, reflects in its own way a ray of God’s infinite wisdom and goodness. Man must respect the particular goodness of every creature, to avoid any disordered use of things which would be in contempt of the Creator and would bring disastrous consequences for human beings and their environment.” Catechism of the Catholic Church, 399
It is a responsibility that must mature on the basis of the global dimension of the present ecological crisis… This perspective takes on a particular importance when one considers, in the context of the close relationships that bind the various parts of the ecosystem, the environmental value of biodiversity, which must be handled with a sense of responsibility and adequately protected… Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 466
Green Party of New Brunswick Stewardship of Creation
The party states that:
– humanity and all other species are an integral part of the Earth’s biosphere.
– the Earth’s ability to provide resources and energy to meet human demands and to absorb our waste and pollution is limited.
– our primary responsibility is to learn to live within the ecological and resource limits of the planet, providing for the needs of all people, while not threatening the existence of other species and future generations.
– because our knowledge is limited, we must take the path of precaution in order that life is not jeopardized and ecosystems are protected.
In seeking such a society, the party is guided by the following fundamental principles:
– living with the province’s ecological means. Humanity and all other species are an integral part of the Earth’s biosphere. The Earth’s ability to provide resources and energy to meet human demands and to absorb our waste and pollution is limited. Our primary responsibility is to learn to live within the ecological and resource limits of the planet, providing for the needs of all people, while not threatening the existence of other species and future generations.
– New Brunswickers have a right to healthy air, safe water and a wholesome food supply; a right to know when these are threatened or have been compromised; and a right to participate in decisions that have the potential to do harm to people and ecosystems.
Climate Change
The party states that:
– climate scientists warn the world needs to cut climate-changing pollution by half by 2030, and get to zero by 2050, or risk runaway global warming.
– New Brunswick needs to get on board with these global targets.
– the province has a Climate Change Act that lays out some strong pollution reduction targets and actions to get us started, but successive governments have done nothing to implement it.
The party advocates:
– meeting existing targets, which are legally binding, with a combination of actions to reduce pollution while building resilient, local economies.
Managing climate emergencies
The party states that:
– climate change is not something around the corner, it’s already here, and we’re already suffering.
– as climate change unfolds before our eyes, home and property insurance is becoming unaffordable or unavailable due to storm and flooding damage. This is only going to get worse.
– protecting people and communities from severe weather must be a top priority.
The party advocates:
– ensuring municipalities have well-funded plans for dealing with severe weather, flooding, drought, wildfires and other climate-related problems.
– preserving wetlands and flood plains and banning large forest clear-cuts to buffer against heavy rains, flooding, and sea level rise.
– investigating each major flood event to identify contributing factors and incorporate lessons learned into adaptation plans.
– providing affordable public insurance for home and property owners that covers damages private insurers will not cover, to replace the emergency funds now provided.
Energy & Resources
The party states that:
– New Brunswick’s biggest source of climate-changing pollution is the electricity system built on coal, oil and gas. It is necessary to reduce energy waste and transform this system to run on renewable energy sources.
– New Brunswickers want warm, insulated houses, heat pumps, solar panels on roofs of houses, and community-owned solar and wind. This should be the goal of energy policy.
The party advocates:
– banning extraction of all new sources of climate-changing fossil fuels, including shale gas.
– funding energy efficiency retrofits and renewable energy systems for homes and businesses.
– transitioning the provincial electricity system to 100 percent renewable sources by 2035, including use of storage technologies, installation of renewable systems on buildings, and long-term purchases of hydropower from Quebec and Labrador, dependence on coal, oil and gas can be ended.
– support for First Nations, community and cooperatively owned renewable energy development, with revenues flowing back into those communities.
To shake up NB Power, which for years has blocked progress on energy efficiency and renewables, wasting money on flights of fancy like JOI Scientific, the unproven latest version of nuclear power, and other irresponsible projects, while other countries are surging forward in world of renewables, the party advocates:
– requiring NB Power to allow municipalities to establish their own electrical utilities like Saint John, Edmundston and Perth-Andover, or enter into renewable energy projects with partners, to provide electricity services directly to their citizens.
– requiring NB Power to meet the 2035 renewable energy requirement.
– requiring NB Power to invest in upgrades to the grid to accommodate new renewables.
– requiring NB Power to purchase renewable energy from producers at competitive prices.
– prohibiting NB Power from investing in speculative, unproven technologies, including modular nuclear reactors.
Conservation & Sustainable Development
The party states that:
– along with the well-being of people, the state of the environment is the primary indicator of a sustainable society.
– the very the New Brunswick governments regulate polluters should be changed, including enactment of new laws to protect provincial water, air and land.
– New Brunswickers have a right to healthy air, safe water and a wholesome food supply; a right to know when these are threatened or have been compromised; and a right to participate in decisions that have the potential to do harm to people and ecosystems.
The party advocates:
– enacting an Environmental Bill of Rights granting citizens the right to clean air, water and land.
– making quarries subject to public review and improving regulations and enforcement to protect the health and safety of rural residents.
– protecting water quality in rivers, streams, lakes and bays to maintain or improve current conditions by implementing the 2017 provincial water strategy.
– introducing watershed, wetland and coastal zone protection legislation.
– investing in new water and sewage treatment plants, and moving sewage lagoons out of floodplains.
– phasing out the release of cancer-causing pollutants from industries.
– setting strong waste reduction targets and ban plastic grocery bags.
– enacting a “right to repair” law to extend product life.
– moving quickly to establish protected areas on 17 per cent of the provincial land base and developing a short-term action plan to protect at least 25 per cent.
Transportation
The party states that:
– after power plants, transportation is the province’s next largest contributor to climate-changing pollution. To meet its climate commitments, the province needs to completely reimagine how we move around, within communities and between them.
– besides reducing pollution and relieving congestion, access to affordable, convenient public transit is essential to reducing poverty and isolation, and increasing equity among citizens. Yet New Brunswick is the only province that doesn’t subsidize city transit systems.
– New Brunswick also has no proper public transportation system between communities, including for example the refusal of prior governments to to provide Campobello with a direct connection to Canadian mainland. Unlike Grand Manan, White Head and Deer Island, Campobello has been stranded and abandoned.
The party advocates:
– immediate acceptance of the federal government’s offer of funds to support the development of public transit and transportation systems
– subsidizing operation of municipal transit systems with money from the carbon fee.
– providing a convenient, affordable public transportation system for regions not currently served by private busses.
– developing a plan for commuter trains in the Fredericton-Saint John-Moncton triangle, and for a rail system linking northern NB with the triangle.
– providing residents of Campobello Island with a year-round ferry to the New Brunswick mainland.
– protection for the system of river ferries in the Wolastoq River system as vital transportation links.
– funds for walking and biking trails and lanes in communities and providing safe cycling training for elementary school children.
To speed the transition to electric and hybrid vehicles and promote road safety, especially in rural areas where local roads are being neglected, causing dangerous driving conditions, the party advocates:
– creating an electric vehicle (EV) incentive program to replace 20,000 gasoline vehicles with EVs by 2030.
– quickly transitioning the government vehicle fleet to EVs, including school buses.
– increased funding for brush-cutting, mowing, snow plowing, and line painting to ensure safety of drivers, cyclists and pedestrians
Crown Lands and Forests
The party states that:
– prior governments have given control over Crown forests to private corporations. The result has been widespread clear-cutting, herbicide spraying, and undermining of the private woodlot sector, which has supported rural families for generations.
– wealth from provincial public forests is now concentrated in very few hands. The native forest and the species that depend on it are in decline.
The party advocates:
– taking Crown forest management away from forestry corporations and giving it to a publicly accountable Forest Stewardship Commission that would establish co-management agreements with First Nations.
– canceling all 25-year Crown land contracts signed with the forestry companies in 2014.
– restoring private woodlots as the primary source of wood supply to mills and returning marketing powers to the local forest products marketing boards.
– ensuring that one-third of forest land is managed to maintain wildlife habitat and biodiversity.
– requiring forestry companies to protect natural water flows and fish habitat, sustain native wildlife communities, and restore forest diversity.
– ending large scale clear-cutting.
– banning the spraying of herbicides such as glyphosate on Crown forests.
Food & Agriculture
The party states that:
– the pandemic demonstrated the fragility of the global food system as store shelves emptied, and New Brunswick residents learned that 90 percent of the province’s vegetables and fruits are imported.
– to improve the province’s ability to feed itself, it is necessary to ensure farmers can earn a decent living, help young farmers to get into the business, and expand markets for local food.
– to minimize agriculture impact on the environment, a local food strategy needs to be grounded in climate friendly, ecological, humane practices.
The party advocates:
– setting targets to reduce food imports, and a standard logo to identify NB grown and produced foods.
– removal of barriers to small- and medium-scale food production, processing and distribution, while maintaining food safety.
– setting targets for organic food production and supporting farmers in transitioning from conventional to organic farm systems.
– providing training programs for new farmers.
– supporting marketing cooperatives and supply management systems, while exempting direct-to-customer sales from supply managed quotas.
– preventing speculators and corporations from buying farmland.
– as part of a climate change action plan, developing a program to make agriculture a net carbon sink.
Liberal Party of New Brunswick Climate Change
The party states that:
– New Brunswick is endowed with rich natural resources and areas of natural beauty. The provincial economy is closely intertwined with these natural resources, impacting everything from seasonal recreation businesses to farming, and there is a growing recognition of the need for their protection. New Brunswick’s reliance on natural resources for both economic vitality and maintaining a healthy province necessitates a careful balance.
– New Brunswickers, who live, work, and play in and near nature, possess a profound appreciation for the natural world, and the health and well-being of New Brunswickers and visitors to the province are deeply connected to the health of the environment.
Recognizing the right to a healthy environment as a fundamental human right, affirming that both people and nature deserve protection and the right to a clean, sustainable, and healthy environment, the party advocates making New Brunswick a Green province by adopting and prioritizing modern environmental policies and laws, focusing on, but not limited to:
– Green Economy,
– Nature conservation and protection,
– Supporting local initiatives (food, buildings),
– Enforcement of environmental regulations,
– Advancement of Circular Economy,
– Health, Well-being, and Safety,
– Development of Sustainable Infrastructures,
– funding and technical support to government departments and stakeholders to focus on making New Brunswick a leader in the adoption and implementation of green policies and practices.
In particular, the party advocates review and modernization of the following, especially those that are 25-30 years out of date:
– Clean Air Act – 1997
– Clean Environment Act – 1991
– Clean Water Act – 1989
– Climate Change Act – 2018
– Pesticides Control Act – 2011
– Beverage Containers Act – 2011- Environmental Trust Fund Act – 2011
– exploration and potential implementation of a Wood First Act and Nature and Biodiversity Act, as seen in other provinces, and addressing the climate and biodiversity crises.
Energy & Resources
Individual and Micro-power generation
The party states that:
– climate change is a significant and real challenge.
– solar electrical generation contributes to reducing the carbon emissions associated with burning fossil fuels, and allows individual citizens to actively participate in reducing the carbon footprint.
– the New Brunswick power grid has the capacity to integrate private electrical production.
The party advocates:
– mandating NB Power to purchase all electricity generated privately, ensuring full compensation for households for any excess production.
Shale Gas
The party states that:
– in recent years, the government of New Brunswick has implemented a moratorium on shale gas development, recognizing shale gas as a significant environmental threat. The environmental impact of shale gas, comparable to other fossil fuels, is exacerbated by its extraction method, hydraulic fracturing, which releases significant quantities of methane, a greenhouse gas with a greater warming potential than carbon dioxide.
– exploitation of shale gas involves the high-pressure injection of a highly toxic liquid, posing serious risks to ecosystems and threatening the water table.
The party advocates a permanent moratorium on the exploration and exploitation of shale gas in New Brunswick.
Indigenous Cooperation
The party states that:
– New Brunswick possesses existing and potential natural resources. There is a legal obligation to consult with First Nations in the province on developments impacting Aboriginal or Treaty Rights.
– the First Nations of New Brunswick never ceded lands with the signing of the Peace and Friendship Treaties.
– involvement of First Nations as partners in negotiations on natural resource development projects in their traditional lands is essential to assess risks and potential benefits.
The party advocates:
– collaborating with the First Nations of New Brunswick to obtain consent on development projects on their lands.
– working with First Nations to establish a revenue sharing model benefiting all New Brunswickers, including the Mi’gmaq, Wolastoqiyik, and Peskotomuhkati Nations.
Species, Conservation & Sustainable Development
Plastics
The party states that:
– single-serve plastic bottles are widely prevalent in our environment. A discarded plastic bottle can take up to 450 years to decompose, significantly impacting the province’s natural environment.
– there are numerous refillable options available on the market, specifically designed for personal water consumption. Health Canada advises a minimum daily water intake of two liters, which equates to the use of four single-use plastic bottles.
The party advocates:
– policies aimed at gradual phase-out of single-serve plastic water bottles, eventually restricting all single-use water containers to sizes of two liters and above.
– active promotion of the adoption of refillable alternatives that are currently available.
Coastal Erosion
The party states that:
– climate change and the warming of our oceans is causing an urgent threat of coastal erosion to provincial communities and infrastructure, especially for citizens residing along the New Brunswick East and Northeast coast. These challenges include increased ice accumulation, rising water levels, and the resultant stress and financial burden on citizens in protecting their land from erosion.
– there is a need for proactive measures to mitigate and adapt to these impacts through comprehensive planning and community support.
The party advocates:
– implementing a Comprehensive Coastal Erosion and Climate Change Resilience Action Plan, with key provisions including: Coastal zone planning and natural buffer preservation, development of engineered structures and infrastructure, public awareness and education initiatives, and assistance programs to support citizens facing erosion and climate change challenges.
– collaborating with federal authorities, municipal entities, and concerned departments to establish a Coastal Erosion and Climate Change Fund, ensuring the successful implementation and continuous improvement of the Action Plan.
Land and Nature Conservation
The party states that:
– globally, nature is experiencing a dangerous decline due to land, water, and ocean usage, compounded by the increasing pressures of climate change and extreme weather events. The federal government, along with the United States and many other countries, has committed to protecting 30% of land and water by 2030.
– New Brunswick currently lags behind neighboring jurisdictions in establishing protected areas for nature. The provincial government has committed to developing a new protected areas target for 2030 but has not yet confirmed alignment with the national target of 30% nor outlined a plan to link critical areas.
– ecosystems in New Brunswick, such as peatlands, wetlands, forests, and coastal areas, serve as vital carbon sinks, flood-protection zones, and critical habitats.
– the majority of species listed under the provincial Species at Risk Act lack legally required protection plans, with over two-thirds of the 88 endangered or threatened species not yet assessed, despite the act’s requirements since 2013.
– scientific research in New Brunswick indicates that extensive large-scale clearcutting over the past 30 years in the Acadian/Wabanaki forest has led to significant habitat degradation for 66% of bird species, with some species declining by up to 30% in the last decade.
The party advocates:
– collaborating with experts from the Indigenous and scientific communities, as well as the province’s nature conservation groups, to develop a strategic plan to protect 30% of New Brunswick’s lands and water by 2030, ensuring that such a plan respects and acknowledges the rights of the province’s First Nations and includes adequate resources to support the development of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, and that the plan includes measures for the protection and restoration of key climate-fighting ecosystems like wetlands, floodplains, and salt marshes in New Brunswick, and leveraging these nature-powered solutions to address the growing threat of extreme weather events and ongoing coastal erosion.
Pesticides
The party states that:
– use of pesticides, including herbicides, and fungicides, has raised concerns about potential environmental and health effects. There is a growing body of evidence indicating the adverse effects of pesticides on human health, including potential carcinogenic properties.
– there is a need to re-evaluate the impact of pesticides on biodiversity, soil health, and water quality within the province.
The party advocates:
– moving towards a pesticide-responsible province with improved regulations, in order to protect the province’s natural resources, ensure the well-being of New Brunswickers, and demonstrate commitment to responsible environmental stewardship, including immediate steps to address the use and regulation of pesticides in the province.
– initiating a comprehensive review of current agricultural and forestry practices, exploring and promoting environmentally sustainable alternative methods that pose minimal risks to human health, actively engaging with and supporting stakeholders in the adoption of these alternatives.
Local Empowerment
The party states that:
– local governments are already engaged in land use planning, with plans either in place or under development.
– the effects of climate change require changes in our consumption habits, development plans, and infrastructures. Related loss of nature directly impacts communities and their citizens.
– the consequences of climate change, such as erosion, forest fires, heat or cold waves, air quality issues, and economic impacts, as well as potential solutions, may vary significantly from one community or region to another.
The party advocates:
– adopting a collaborative approach with Indigenous communities, municipalities, Regional Services Commissions, and concerned non-profit organizations to devise local and regional solutions to the effects of climate change and nature loss, with multi-year funding and technical support to local governments and non-profit organizations for environment and climate change-related projects.
Promotion of Local Products
The party states that:
– climate change (droughts, floods) is increasingly affecting harvests. Growers are struggling to find seasonal workers for the harvest. New Brunswick grocery stores sell many products imported from other provinces.
The party advocates a review of provincial economic policy and development of a strategy to encourage New Brunswickers to consume more local products.
New Brunswick NDP Conservation & Sustainable Development
The party states that:
– it is proud to call New Brunswick home, but concerned that it must be cared for, on behalf of future generations. Working hand in hand with Indigenous peoples, the province can be a leader in transitioning to renewable energy, while protecting the environment and conserving natural resources.
– it is time for to address climate change and preserve the environment while ensuring natural resources are responsibly managed in the long-term interests of New Brunswickers and in ways that are sustainable.
Carbon Reduction Plan
The party advocates introduction of a Carbon Reduction Fund to help the province transition to green energy through the introduction of a $30 per ton carbon reduction program to reach $50 per ton after four years.
– one-third of the funds generated would be returned to low and middle-income earners in the form of a rebate.
– one-third would be invested in green energy projects, such as infrastructure upgrades related to wind, solar, tidal, hydro, nuclear, and geothermal energy.
– the remaining third would be invested in green infrastructure programs such as electrified public transit and a province-wide electric vehicle charging network.
Green Infrastructure
The party advocates:
– re-introducing the popular Energy Efficiency Savings Program with an emphasis on targeting low-income households.
– creation of a Green Innovation Fund for local researchers and engineers to develop “Made in New Brunswick” green technology within provincial public governmental and academic institutions.
– respecting New Brunswickers by ensuring the price of electricity remains the same or is lowered so that hydro is affordable for working families and small businesses.
Conserving land and forests
To protect provincial forests and other important natural areas, the party advocates:
– setting a land conservation target of at least 17%.
– protecting forests by ending glyphosate spraying, protecting older growth forests, and implementing the best forestry practices from around the world.
– defending the province’s rich agricultural lands by developing regulations that prevent the stripping of agricultural land for residential purposes.
Water, shores and coastline
The party advocates:
– increasing the 30 metre set-back from navigable water ways and wetlands, and legislating stronger protections for all provincial waterways.
– enforcing or strengthen existing protections for fresh water wetlands and flood zones, and making flood zone charts and other information widely available to help protect New Brunswickers from catastrophic weather events like flooding.
People’s Alliance Climate Change | Species, Diversity & Wildlife
The party has published no current statement regarding its policies relating to:
• Climate change
• Species, diversity or wildlife
Energy & Resources; Conservation & Sustainable Development
The party states that it has long called for a ban on the use of Glyphosate on Crown Lands.
The party further advocates:
– reducing the size and percentage of clear-cutting allowances on Crown Land to balance economic viability and environmental concerns.
– preserving water and soil by safeguarding conservation areas and buffer strips (brooks, streams, rivers).
– increasing primary sources for private woodlot owners with fair market values.
– providing competitive access to crown land for current mills and new industrial opportunities.
– working with our First Nations to engage in responsible resource management that respects Aboriginal Rights.
– ensuring the Department of Natural Resources directs policies and planning without political or corporate meddling.
– mandating an exhaustive review by the Auditor General of allocation, forest management, royalties, stumpage fees, etc.
– working with industry to develop new and innovative uses of pulp wood.
– ensuring crown lands are accessible to the people of New Brunswick for responsible recreational use.
Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick Care for Creation
The party’s constitution states that the party believes in protection of the environment: the province must ensure that economic growth and resource development take place in an environmentally sustainable manner, and that decisions taken reflect the shared role of government, business and individuals as stewards of the environment for the current and future generations.
Prior to its current term in office, the party advocated environmental protection through:
– expanded glass recycling.
– extended producer pay program.
– banning of single-use plastic bags & plastic bottles.
– stricter controls on illegal dumping.
Climate Change
The party’s 2024-25 budget proposes allocation of:
– $48.7 million for the Climate Change Secretariat, to support development and implementation of policies and programs to reduce the province’s overall greenhouse gas emissions, including preparations for New Brunswickers to adapt to future climate conditions, monitor the implementation of the Climate Change Action Plan, and administer the Climate Change Fund and the Output-based Pricing System for large industrial emitters.
Species, Diversity & Wildlife | Energy & Resources
Prior to its current term in office, the party advocated, in order to promote conservation:
- doubling of protected areas
- boosting online licensing & education
- protecting waterways within provincial boundaries
In its 2024-25 budget, the party states that its clean energy transition plan supports its aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, transform how New Brunswickers consume energy, and support significant economic opportunity. To support this, budgeted investments include:
– $50 million for the Enhanced Energy Savings Program to provide free heat pumps, air sealing and insulation for eligible recipients.
– $5 million to support energy conservation for people who use non-electric fuel types, First Nations, non-profit organizations, and low-income individuals and families.
– $12.5 million to navigate a complex regulatory approval process and ensure that clean non-emitting nuclear energy is generated safely.
In its 2024-25 budget the party further proposes allocation of:
– $3.8 million for emergency management/response and local service delivery of relevant environmental programs and an inspection program through six Regional Offices, and liaising with Justice and Public Safety for the management of enforcement activities related to the Acts and Regulations under the department’s mandate.
– $4.6 million for regulating the construction and operation of specific activities in order to minimize impacts on the province’s air, land, and water environments, using various regulatory tools a strong auditing program to assess compliance.
– $328 thousand to manage surface water management activities in close proximity to the province’s wetlands and watercourses to ensure they are conducted in a sustainable and environmentally responsible manner.
– $1.4 million to process environmental impact assessments of proposed activities and developments.
– $2.6 million for monitoring current environmental conditions (air and water), provide baseline information and data, and provide scientific services and hydrologic forecasting to interpret, evaluate, and report on the state of the environment in New Brunswick.
– $1.1 million for providing scientific and engineering advice for environmental health policy, through the Healthy Environments Branch, including source water protection of drinking water.
– a new/increase $3.9 million for a Private Woodlot Sustainability Fund
Points to Ponder Points to Ponder: Stewardship of Creation
Many voices, including scientists, the Vatican, and the United Nations, agree that in order to avoid catastrophic global heating, with resulting unpredictable increases in the number and severity of extreme weather events, loss of agricultural land, particularly in the poorest countries, and collapse of ecosystems, the global average temperature increase must be limited to 1.5 degrees Centigrade; and that to achieve such a limit, emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide (collectively, “greenhouse gasses”, or GHG) must be cut in half by 2030 and brought to zero net increase by 2050. Canada is currently committed is to a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, but according to the Auditor General may not meet that goal. And others wonder whether Canada’s commitment is big enough to be fair to other countries.
The charts below show different aspects of GHG emissions in Canada, using the most recent data available. They provide rich ground for reflection on the application of Catholic Social Teaching. The first chart, labeled “Figure 9“, shows emissions per person in each province, by province, according to the most recent data. The second, labeled “Table 2”, shows the levels of emissions for various industries as of 2005 (the “benchmark” year by which most international GHG comparisons are measured), 2019, and 2022. The third, “Chart 20”, shows the federal government’s understanding of past emissions levels, and predictions for getting to its agreed level by 2030.
- Emissions in New Brunswick: Figure 9, the per-capita provincial comparisons, suggests that on a per-person basis the province of New Brunswick belongs to a middle group (along with BC, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland & Labrador) whose emissions are just below the current Canadian national average of 18.2 tonnes per person, between higher emitters Alberta and Saskatchewan and lowest emitters Quebec and PEI. It would appear, however, that work remains to be done if New Brunswick wants to catch up with the current global average of 5.9 tonnes per person per year (the gold line in Figure 9), and even more if it wishes to reach the global target for 2030, of 2.1 tones per person per year (the green line).
- What, if anything, can or should fairly be done by the people of New Brunswick to join a global drive to reduce emissions levels?
- What, if anything, can or should fairly be done by the other provinces, and/or the federal government?
- Industrial Emissions: Table 2 suggests both encouraging and concerning trends in various industries. For example, it suggests that Canada-wide emissions caused by the generation of electricity have been reduced by more than half, while significant progress has been made in other heavy industries. On the other hand, emissions in the oil and gas, agricultural, and buildings sectors have continued to rise. What can or should be done about that, bearing the principles of subsidiarity, solidarity, the common good, and the sanctity of life in mind?
- Canada’s Fair Share: Chart 20 seems to present a challenge for all Canadians, wherever we life.
- For example, it is disappointing to see that emissions levels for the first 20 years shown in the chart have remained relatively constant, with the bulk of the reductions being predicted for the last 10 years. It seems disappointingly common for curves on social phenomena to show the bulk of the progress in the future, while little improvement has been made in the years since commitments were made. Must that always be so? Assuming that it is true in this case, can or should we do better?
- The chart also seems to suggest that even if we meet the 2030 goal as a nation, we all have much work to do beyond that: our nation has committed only to reduce emissions to a point at which we are producing about six times as many emissions as the rest of the world. If that is true, can or should we do better?
