Agricultural innovation critical for industry and government to address climate change
In the global discussion on climate change, agricultural innovation is a vital part of the solution. But in the public discourse to date, agriculture is often portrayed as a major cause, as opposed to part of the solution, when it comes to addressing the challenges posed by climate change. To be sure, agriculture and its […]
Canadians need to come together to meet net-zero carbon emissions targets
OTTAWA—On Feb. 4, I rose in the Senate and presented the following challenge to not only my colleagues, but also to all Canadians: “I rise today, in a spirit of openness, and a sense of urgency, to launch a Senate inquiry into finding the right pathways and actions for Canada and Canadians to meet our […]
Can the Conservatives make themselves relevant again?
OTTAWA—Here’s Peter MacKay’s take on Canada’s responsibility to help address the global climate change emergency: “We could throw all our car keys in Halifax Harbour, turn down the heat, turn off the lights, walk around naked in the dark eating organic beets, and it won’t make a difference,” the former Harper-era cabinet minister said on […]
Leaning in by leading the way: Canada’s forest sector embraces UN sustainable development goals
Dire warnings from the latest UN report on the environment in November 2019 say that as the world warms, we will see more frequent and intense climate impacts such as the catastrophic heatwaves and storms we are witnessing. The report calls on global business leaders, investors, and citizens to “lean in” and engage in a […]
When it comes to climate policies, Conservative leadership contenders need to move beyond criticism
OTTAWA—It was disappointing, but not surprising, that the leading candidates for the leadership of the Conservative Party came out with the predictable language about tearing up “Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax.” Both Peter MacKay and Erin O’Toole were quick to make this point. Clearly, they are taking the view that in order to win the current […]
Cross-party cooperation can ensure success of Paris Agreement
Remember the Copenhagen Accord, the decade-old global climate agreement? Apparently no one in the Canadian government does, since it is never mentioned. Jan. 29 was the 10th anniversary of Canada sending its Copenhagen pledge to the UN. That included a promise to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent by 2020, the third climate […]
We all need to be on the same page to protect the natural world
At the end of January, staff and volunteers from the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) will gather in Ottawa. We will pause to celebrate our progress and to explore how we can accelerate efforts to conserve Canada’s lands, waters, and wildlife. The NCC was founded in 1962 by a group of naturalists who saw Canada’s […]
Canada’s oil and gas sector can be part of the climate change solution, not the problem
TORONTO—In a stark new report that needs to be read in Canada, the International Energy Agency warns that the oil and gas industry has two choices as the world transitions to a low-carbon world: it can be part of the problem, or it can be part of the solution. The industry can be part of […]
Canada: unprepared for natural disasters
OTTAWA—The terrifying Australian bush fires is one of the more explosive events of increasing climate change emergencies. Here in Canada, two recently obtained sets of access to information records from Public Safety and Agriculture Canada are not exactly reassuring for Canada’s preparedness for natural disasters. Public Safety records from the agency, which is most responsible for […]
Version 2.0 of the Trudeau climate playbook
Please allow me to introduce Version 2.0 of the Trudeau Climate Playbook. Version 1.0 was released shortly after the December 2015 climate talks that produced the Paris Agreement. In Paris, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared that “Canada is back my friends … and here to help” tackle climate change. What followed in the next months […]
