The Council of Canadians is part of a broad new coalition launching today with the aim of winning transformative change in the face of the climate crisis.
The Pact for a Green New Deal is a coalition of workers, artists, Indigenous leaders, scientists, youth, and people directly impacted by climate catastrophe who want to ensure a safe world for current and future generations. The Pact brings together over 65 organizations and 50 artists, with the numbers continuing to rise.
A majority of people in Canada already support a Green New Deal and more will support one that tackles inequality at the same time as the climate crisis. Recent polling found that 61% support a Green New Deal and the support rises to 66% if it increases taxes on “corporations and the wealthy.”
Building a movement for a Green New Deal can shift the consensus on what’s politically possible so that we can prevent climate catastrophe.
WHY A GREEN NEW DEAL?
The United Nations released its dire report on the state of the planet’s biodiversity today, warning that 1 million species are facing extinction if we don’t change course.
We are living through a global climate crisis. Scientists have given us just 11 years to cut our emissions in half in order to avoid catastrophic impacts and the crisis moving beyond our control. To do that, we must see “rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society.”
A Green New Deal rests on two fundamental principles: 1. It must meet the demands of Indigenous knowledge and science and cut Canada’s emissions in half in 11 years. 2. It must leave no one behind and create a better present and future for all of us.
The Pact for a Green New Deal recognizes that climate change is not the only crisis we face. Indeed, what is unique about a Green New Deal is it offers us a chance to address all of them. A Green New Deal for Canada could help address the climate crisis, lift people out of poverty, and create over a million jobs in the process.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
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Help unite a diverse movement: Sign the pledge for a Green New Deal. If you’re part of an organization, encourage it to endorse and participate in the Pact for a Green New Deal.
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Help develop a shared vision. Join a town hall near you or sign up to host one to help shape the vision for Canada’s Green New Deal.
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Help make the climate crisis a federal election issue by pushing political leaders to act. Spread the word by sharing this campaign with your networks and by calling on federal election candidates in your riding to support a Green New Deal. On social media you can use the hashtag #GreenNewDeal.
