29 November, 2018 (NOBLETON) In response to the Ford government announcing their climate plan, Keith Stewart, senior energy analyst at Greenpeace Canada, said:
“What is being promised here is a major retreat from what was being done to fight climate change in Ontario and isn’t even a shadow of what scientists and doctors say is necessary. Doug Ford may want to sit out the fight against climate change in the hope that someone else does Ontario’s share, but that means we miss out on the jobs, like building electric vehicles, that come with the new green economy while increasing our vulnerability to extreme weather, wildfires and other symptoms of an increasingly chaotic climate.
Responsible leadership means tackling issues head-on. Today’s announcement shows that the Ford government can’t or won’t recognize either the threat or the opportunity that climate change and its solutions represent.”
A recent report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found that in order to avert a global climate catastrophe, emissions need to be cut in half in the next 12 years and drop to net zero by 2050.
Before the Ford Government was elected, Ontario had reduced its carbon emissions by 22 per cent from 2005 levels.
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For more information:
Keith Stewart, senior energy strategist at Greenpeace Canada, is available for comment. To arrange an interview, please contact Steve Cornwell, 514-418-0071, [email protected]
