UN Compact for the Future | Canada should take inspiration from the global consensus

The climate clock is ticking. Last week at the United Nations, the world adopted a Compact for the Future, which reiterates consensus on the greatest challenges of our time, including peace and security, financing for development and, of course, the climate crisis .

At a time when the effects of climate change are intensifying and communities around the world are suffering the consequences, it is encouraging to see that the Future Compact consolidates the commitments made during the COP28 international climate negotiations by December 2023: transition away from fossil fuels, triple renewable energies and double our energy efficiency. What was once an ambition is now becoming a norm in international discussions.

However, during this time, in Canada, we are witnessing a heartbreaking spectacle. As our forests burn and our coastlines erode, some politicians are railing against vital climate policies like carbon pricing.

These attacks, dictated by short-term political interests, are completely out of step with the global consensus. It’s like debating the color of the curtains while the house is on fire.

Clearly, now is not the time to slow down our actions against the climate; on the contrary, it is imperative to strengthen our policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Expected regulations

The numbers are relentless. The oil and gas industry, responsible for 31% of our emissions, continues to pollute with impunity. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promises a cap on emissions from this sector, a promise reiterated in New York, but we are still waiting for this regulation. Same thing for the removal of fossil fuels from our electricity network: the final version of the regulation is nowhere in sight. It’s time for surface discussions about climate to stop and speed up the machine.

Fortunately, on the Quebec side, there is room for hope. The Mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante, and the Minister of the Environment of Quebec, Benoit Charette, went to New York to promote what we do best in terms of climate and to reiterate the importance of action climate at all levels of government. Of course, let’s demonstrate what we can achieve, but let’s not limit ourselves to it and roll up our sleeves.

Much remains to be done, at all levels, to transform our society by revolutionizing our transport systems, eliminating gas from our buildings, protecting our local ecosystems, making our infrastructure more resilient and mobilizing the population.

Last year, thick smoke from wildfires originating in Canada covered New York City, transforming the city into a postapocalyptic setting. This year, the sky was clear when the Pact was adopted, but the signs of the climate crisis remain: the destructive floods here and in Europe or the forest fires which devastated Jasper and the Brazilian Amazon are not among them. just a few examples.

Although the Pact for the Future is not limited to the climate issue, it invites us to imagine a world where this crisis would finally be resolved. So, when will we, in Canada, have our own Compact for the Future, approved by all of our political leaders?

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