Adaptation Community, Climate Change, Economy, Energy, Extreme Weather, Sea Level Rise
Top 5 Actions for a National Climate Plan
February 24, 2016
Source: Council of Canadians; Robert van Waarden/ Survival Media Agency
On March 3rd, First Ministers will be meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Vancouver to lay the groundwork for a National Climate Plan.
The Council of Canadians’ Energy & Climate Justice Campaigner proposes the following 5 priorities for such a plan:
- Freeze fossil fuel expansion and related infrastructure
- A clean plan towards a 100% renewable energy economy by 2050
- All plans must respect the inherent rights and title of Indigenous communities
- Just transition and prioritizing equity measures
- $4 billion a year for climate adaptation and mitigation measures in the Global South
To this list, we would add that Canada needs to focus on adaptation here at home, not just abroad. This new federal government has promised considerable funding for new infrastructure, even acknowledging that climate-resilient infrastructure, flood mitigation, and wastewater systems are among their priorities. Explicitly tying these commitments to climate change would be a good start to focusing on adaptation.
We’ll certainly be watching for more news and outcomes of the meeting in the coming weeks.