QUEBEC CITY – A Liberal government would restore Canada’s climate change leadership with a firm commitment to keep global warming within two degrees Celsius and create the clean economy jobs of tomorrow through a historic investment in clean energy and energy efficiency, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff announced today.
“These are the steps we can take right now,” said Mr. Ignatieff. “We can change course, restore Canada’s international reputation, and build a cleaner, more prosperous new economy that will create the jobs of tomorrow and improve our quality of life.”
In a speech at Laval University, Mr. Ignatieff said a Liberal government would create a binding and verifiable cap-and-trade system – with hard caps leading to absolute reductions – that is fair to all regions and industries, and compatible with other systems for international carbon trading.
“At the heart of everything affecting climate change is the question of energy: the energy we produce, the energy we save, and the energy we’ll need,” said Mr. Ignatieff. “Canadian workers know that saving energy saves jobs. Energy-efficient businesses are more profitable and more competitive.”
A Liberal government would set an ambitious target of quadrupling Canada’s production of renewable energy by Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017, and promote energy efficiency through new transit systems, high-speed rail, and ”smart” electrical grids.
Mr. Ignatieff also proposed a single Clean Energy Act that would adopt the toughest vehicle emissions standards in North America and outlined strategies to protect our air, water, forests and Arctic.
The Liberal Leader’s speech comes just days before the world meets in Copenhagen for an international summit on climate change, which the Harper government has used as an excuse to put off climate change regulations by another year.
“Stephen Harper has tried to sabotage international climate change negotiations,” said Mr. Ignatieff. “Instead, Canada should be fighting for a firm international agreement to reduce carbon pollution, based on scientific facts.”
“We need a government that looks forward, not backward,” he concluded. “It’s time to set ourselves a new national project—one that brings together our economy, our environment and our best ideas to create the jobs and prosperity of tomorrow.”
Highlights of a Liberal plan for the environment, climate change and clean energy jobs
