What do the Federal Leaders Climate Plans Mean for Canadians?

A healthy economy goes hand in hand with a healthy environment. This was the topic of conversation for the majority of the Federal leaders debate on October 7th.

The debate saw a discussion on Indigenous issues evolve into one about the availability of resources, a discussion on global issues develop into one about global climate policies, and discussions on affordability turn into the implementation of new green technologies. It was a reflection of one of the most critical issues Canadians face right now, and the choice that lays ahead of them.

The science says that health and economic impacts are already visible, and are bound to get worse if the world stays on this trajectory, according to the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). For Canada to do its part in keeping warming below 1.5 C, it must keep emissions 40 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.

Each candidate seems to have a plan, a vision, and targets to achieve. Here’s what their policies will mean for the environment and economy.

Justin Trudeau

The Liberal government likes to assert the fact that their government reached ¾ of their targets. Their plan mainly revolves around the carbon tax, which incentivizes companies and regular Canadians to use fewer resources than emit greenhouse gases. They also plan to plant two billion trees to tackle climate change with nature. However, as of yet, the Liberals aren’t on track to meet their 2030 targets. They say they will cover for it by investments in new technologies. If elected, the Liberals will also continue the Trans Mountain Pipeline project, which will continue to emit carbon emissions.

Andrew Scheer

The Conservative plan is this: to remove the carbon tax and provide jobs to Canadians in the process of creating and selling new green technologies worldwide. While they have released their climate plan, climate journalists have referred to it as vague, and climate journalists predict that a Conservative government will fall short of reaching their targets.

Jagmeet Singh

The New Democratic Party plans to keep the carbon tax, but also apply it to trade-exposed industries. Their plan includes removing fossil fuels from electricity grids, transportation, and building sectors. They plan to cut down emissions by 38 percent of 2005 levels by 2030 through meeting the climate crisis head-on. The problem is that they do not identify how they would get there. For example, their plan has no mention of mechanisms to enforce these carbon cuts, which makes the success of their plan uncertain.

Elizabeth May

Then there are the Greens, whose whole election platform is based around climate. Their plan includes implementation of the carbon tax, with a 10$ increase per tonne every year till 2030, closing pipeline expansions including the Trans Mountain Pipeline, and creating a “war cabinet” with members from all parties which actively work on fighting Climate Change. The party’s proposal also includes the elimination of all fossil fuels from electricity generation until 2030. While it’s the most ambitious plan, it still does not address the specific measures the Green Party will take, which may be its downfall.

In the end, it is essential to note that a healthy economy directly correlates to its environment. And the choice for the government made now will dictate the direction in which we take our economy, environment, and Canadians.

Written by Ahmed Awan, Writer for the Junior Economist

Originally published on October 16th, 2019