Greenpeace Throne Speech scorecard gives mixed marks to Liberals’ “ambitious but incomplete” recovery plans
TORONTO — Today, Greenpeace Canada launched a scorecard evaluating the plans and priorities in yesterday’s Speech from the Throne. The scorecard offers an in depth analysis of the measures announced, including how the plans stack up against the policies Greenpeace recommended for a green and just recovery from covid-19.
The Liberals addressed five of 21 key policy areas recommended by Greenpeace, while outright failing in five (see overall ranking here and detailed policy analysis here). In the majority of areas, the Liberals made commitments but didn’t provide enough detail for analysts to determine whether their plans truly made the grade. As expected, promises of social safety net expansion and justice for pandemic-impacted communities were prioritized above more ambitious environmental goals, though a commitment to making climate change a cornerstone of a strategy to create one million new jobs was a standout promise.
Overall, the Throne Speech is an indication that the Liberals have an ambitious but incomplete agenda for a green and just recovery. They earned better-than-usual marks, but the Cabinet will need to ratchet up ambition and draw up clear roadmaps for action to match Canadians’ expectations for transformational social and environmental change.
Greenpeace Canada issue-area experts also provided commentary on the speech and on what should be in the upcoming ministerial mandate letters and fall economic update.
More on these topics and full analysis here.
Analysis by Sarah King, Head of the Oceans & Plastics Campaign:
“With a 2021 single-use plastic ban reaffirmed in the Throne Speech, we now need assurances that the regulations will cover the wide array of plastics that are trashing our communities. From production to disposal, plastic pollutes and causes harm to people and wildlife. Climate action also means cutting petrochemical and plastic production, and saying goodbye to disposability. We need real investment in systems that centre reuse and strive for zero waste, that can be scaled up to help expedite a transition to a truly circular economy.”
Analysis by Shane Moffatt, Head of the Nature & Food Campaign:
“One thing the Throne Speech got right is how much nature matters to all Canadians. But when it comes to protecting Canada’s natural environment, this government has a lot of catching up to do. Recycling an old promise to plant 2 billion trees is not going to cut it. We need a massive investment in “nature jobs” to restore our forests and clean up our rivers. At the same time, hunger is on the rise in Canada, in particular for lower income, Black and Indigenous communities. So it was deeply disappointing that the Speech made no mention of a Universal Basic Income, which is essential for addressing poverty, the root cause of hunger. ”
Analysis by Keith Stewart, Senior Energy Strategist:
“Many of the energy-related measures announced in the Throne Speech were recycled from the 2019 election platform or the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Climate Change, which is why we are keen to see them implemented rather than simply proposed. We also need to go further. The proposed new climate plan will have to ‘show us the tonnes.’ We need to see how the measures will achieve sufficient emissions reductions, to close the gap and then surpass the current 2030 target.”
Analysis by Jesse Firempong, climate justice spokesperson:
“While we support plans to strengthen social safety nets and community resilience against climate change, we also see missed opportunities for transformational change. A more robust polluter-pays system and concrete plan to end fossil fuel subsidies would free up funds to catalyze decarbonization and make sure no one in Canada falls through the cracks of the pandemic or climate crisis.”
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For more information, please contact:
Laura Bergamo, Greenpeace Canada
[email protected]; +1-438-928-5237
