Signatories include Greenpeace and the David Suzuki Foundation
The letter cites frustration with the federal government that it’s moving too slowly on its proposed oil and gas emissions cap — regulation that’s received significant pushback from the oilsands and Alberta government.
“Governments in Canada must put the health of people in Canada and our communities above fossil fuel profits — before another town or city burns or floods due to the impacts of climate change,” the letter reads.
Among its primary contentions are governments’ financial support for projects such as the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion and financing provided to various energy companies.
In response to questions about the letter, federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault’s office referred Postmedia to the minister’s comments defending the government’s environmental record at a news conference in Hinton on Thursday.
“Clearly, we are seeing an increase in the number and severity of forest fires in Canada and around the world. That’s why our government has presented the most comprehensive plan to fight climate change that will allow us to hit a climate goal in 2026 for the first time in Canadian history,” Guilbeault said.
“The last time our emissions were this low, O.J. Simpson was on trial and the modern cellphones didn’t exist. Our plan is working, our emissions are coming down and we’re doing it in a way that supports communities and workers.”
One of the letter’s key targets, the oil and gas emissions cap, would require the sector to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 35 to 38 per cent from 2019 levels by 2030. Its cap-and-trade structure would allow companies to buy offset credits or contribute to a decarbonization fund that would lower that requirement to 20 to 23 per cent.
Introduced early last December, the federal government said the draft regulations would be published in mid-2024. That date has been pushed to sometime this fall, Guilbeault’s office said.
It’s also unclear whether the cap will be implemented before the next federal election.
The latest emissions data, published in May, showed Canada’s emissions decreased seven per cent in 2022 from 2005 levels.
The oil and gas sector contributed 217 megatonnes of CO2 to the atmosphere in 2022, far and away the largest share of any sector. (Transportation was second, emitting 156 megatonnes.)
— With files from Matthew Black