Where the Conservatives stand on a Green New Deal

Top Line: Shockingly, the Conservative Party actually has a climate plan. Perhaps less shockingly, it reads like it was written by oil and gas lobbyists.

Photo Credit: Claire Foran

Listening to the science

The Conservative climate plan doesn’t include any specific targets or goals for emissions reductions in Canada and relies on pledges and promises to use innovation and technology to address the problem. While capping emissions for big polluters is a good idea, the Conservative plan doesn’t actually cap them. It puts a small fine on major polluters who exceed caps that are likely to be set far too high to begin with.

A scientific assessment of the Conservative plan found that it would miss Canada’s climate targets by even more than the Liberal plan, and their plan includes a coast to coast pipeline expansion that would ensure we miss our climate targets.

 

Creating millions of good jobs

The Conservative climate plan doesn’t account for any kind of serious job creation or just transition in addressing the climate emergency. At most, their promise to invest in technology could create jobs, but it’s likely that much of this investment would go to the fossil fuel industry, helping to expand fossil fuel production, making more workers, families and communities dependent on a wild boom and bust cycle as the world transitions away from oil, coal and gas.

 

Dignity, justice & equity for all

The Conservative climate platform doesn’t make any promises around issues related to dignity, justice or equity. And, whether it’s Andrew Scheer’s refusal to apologize for his past comments on same sex marriage, his party’s shift to the extreme right by demonizing migrants and refugees, or the federal and provincial Conservatives’ long record of attacking public sector funding once in power, it’s pretty clear this isn’t a priority for the Conservative Party of Canada.

 

Respecting Indigenous rights & sovereignty

The Conservative Party hasn’t made any specific policy proposals related to Indigenous rights or sovereignty, but in the last sitting of the House of Commons, they were the only party to vote against Bill 262 to write UNDRIP into Canadian law. Conservative Senators also played a crucial role in delaying action on the Bill in the senate, and eventually killing the legislation.

Conservatives also opposed Canada becoming a signatory to UNDRIP and under the last federal Conservative government, the Idle No More movement rose up to challenge that government’s attacks on Indigenous rights.

This post is part of a 4-part series that looks at how party platforms stack up against a Green New Deal. To see our four pillars of a Green New Deal and analysis of party platforms, click here.

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