Statement on World Environment Day and Canadian Environment Week

June 04, 2017

(OTTAWA) – Elizabeth May (MP, Saanich-Gulf Islands) recognizes World Environment Day and Canadian Environment Week:

Ms. May, said: “World Environment Day celebrates the efforts of those who work for a healthier environment. In 2015, when global nations came together to celebrate their commitment to climate action with the Paris Agreement, there was much reason for optimism. Despite Donald Trump’s false claims about the Paris Agreement, we will forge ahead.

“World Environment Day and Canadian Environment Week also reminds us that Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions targets remain the weakest of any G7 nation: the Harper administration’s substandard goal of 30% reduction from 2005 levels by 2030. We are nowhere near meeting our Paris Agreement commitments, when Canada and the world agreed to work towards no more than a 1.5C global temperature rise. I continue to urge the Trudeau administration to set robust GHG reduction targets as soon as possible that meet our Paris Agreement commitments,” Ms. May concluded.

Richard Zurawski, GPC Climate Change Critic, said: “Donald Trump’s ill-informed statements on the Paris Agreement must be refuted during World Environment Week. U.S. emissions account for a fifth of the global emissions and that is to be avoided by 2030. A not-for-profit group, Climate Interactive, has shown that a regression to ‘business as usual’ emissions by the U.S. could warm the world by an additional 0.3C by 2100.

“Far from Trump’s claim that this temperature increase is insignificant, this would help push global temperature rise well beyond 2C, causing punishing heatwaves, a rise in sea level, displacement of millions of people and the loss of ecosystems such as coral reefs,” Mr. Zurawski said.