And heading into the last week of April 2021, our first month lived twice in COVID.  Sadly, not our last.  I am looking forward to getting my vaccination on Thursday.  Thankfully (and genuinely thankful for prayers) my family members with COVID are on the mend. I look at poor India and wonder at the enormity of exponential growth and how we could have managed the pandemic so much better.

I succeeded this week, with indispensable help from Paul Manly, in forcing an emergency debate on COVID, the variants and the perennial problem of lack of coordination – federally and provincially. We called for a reasonable and sensible review of the lessons learned. We asked for all orders of government to ask public health experts to provide advice:  can we shift from “flattening the curve” to going to zero-COVID?  https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/emergency-debate-covid19-variants-1.5996788

I think our Green caucus efforts helped push for the increased restrictions on flights from areas where the new double variants have emerged. But we know that horse is out that particular barn door. Those double variants have already arrived in Quebec, Alberta and the largest number of cases here in British Columbia.

This was a big work week with the new federal budget on Monday and Earth Day on Thursday. I promised Linda Solomon Wood, during our National Observer conversations, that I would write a column analyzing the budget, which I am still doing, so watch for that soon. But for this GSM I want to focus on the progress, halting though it was, brought about by the Biden Climate Leaders’ Summit.

With zooms, webinars, and parliament in session, we had a lot of ways in which we focused on Earth Day. The Global Greens event on Tuesday, looking forward to the Biden Climate Summit on Earth Day, is worth watching. We held it to one hour, with participation from elected Greens from the global South and industrialized countries in an inspiring conversation.  The panelists were the Minister of Climate from New Zealand, also co-leader of NZ Greens, James Shaw, the leader of the Rwandan Greens, Dr. Frank Hibeneza MP,  leader of the Argentinian Greens, Silvia Vasquez and the only elected Green in the UK Parliament, Caroline Lucas. Listening to all of them will re-ignite your sense of hope, optimism and purpose in being Green. Our Global Green family is astonishing.

https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethMayMPSGI/posts/2043330902475573

I started Earth Day earlier than I wanted for President Biden’s Climate Leaders’ Summit; up at 4:30 AM and live tweeting the event at 5 AM BC time.

Having missed the chance of a 2020 COP due to COVID, the new US administration created their own “holding feet to the fire” moment. The Earth Day Summit was an attempt to push forty national leaders to climate action. Collectively those forty nations could save us from the worst of the climate emergency.  We must never lose hope that we can move away from fossil fuels fast enough, while restoring as much of the planet’s natural sequestration capacity in green and leafy life, on land and in our oceans, also fast enough, to allow human civilization to remain intact and save millions of species.  Holding to 1.5 degrees C is no guarantee, but will give our children far better odds than blowing past 2 degrees C global average temperature increase.

To be successful, Biden and Kerry needed other countries to at least commit to what the US, now back in the Paris Agreement, is prepared to do. Biden’s administration, particularly climate security envoy John Kerry, really pulled out the stops, twisting arms, to push all nations to increase their targets such that we could move off our current trajectory – towards 3-4 degrees C global average temperature increase – to get to one with any hope of staying well below 2 degrees C and ideally no more than 1.5 degrees.  That is what all nations promised in Paris in 2015 at COP21.  And with every passing day, the chances of getting there shrink.

The best explanation of carbon budgets and the perilous nature of delay comes from Mark Carney’s new book, Value(s): Building a Better World for all (p. 273):

…”the carbon budget to limit temperature rises to below catastrophic levels is rapidly being exhausted….

“If we had started in 2000, we could have hit the 1.5 degree C objective by halving emissions every thirty years.  Now we must halve emissions every ten years. If we wait another four years, the challenge will be to halve emissions every year. If we wait another eight years, our 1.5 degree C carbon budget will be exhausted.”

This closely mirrors the IPCC advice from its Special Report on 1.5 degrees (October 2018) : “In model pathways with no or limited overshoot of 1.5°C, global net anthropogenic CO₂ emissions decline by about 45% from 2010 levels by 2030… reaching net zero around 2050 …” (emphasis added)

Clearly, Biden and Kerry grasp that reality.  Kerry flew to Shanghai in his shuttle diplomacy to get more out of the Peoples’ Republic of China. It is rumoured that Kerry made it clear to Canada that the recently tabled figure in Monday’s budget of going to 36% below 2005 by 2030 (a small increase over the Harper target, still in place, of 30% below 2005 by 2030) would not be good enough to meet expectations. Kerry was twisting arms right up to the Summit itself.

Speaker after speaker stressed that the slashing of GHG emissions had to primarily take place this decade. President Macron of France put it succinctly, “2030 is the new 2050.”

They needed Canada to step up.  At least, one can say we limped a bit closer to where we should be.  Trudeau’s speech was an appalling self-congratulatory, arrogant claim of leadership. A dose of humility would have gone down better.  He committed Canada to 40-45% below 2005 levels by 2030, but also pleaded for Canadian exceptionalism – it is so hard for us because we must keep building pipelines and mining the oil sands. “Canada is a country that produces and exports its energy, and so I understand that this will not be easy.”

Other countries, especially the Europeans, did step up, announcing more in climate financing and some promising tougher targets by June when leaders will meet again at the G-20.

The US is now committed to cutting its 2005 emissions by 50-52% by 2030. That is huge.  As well, the US is doubling its funding pledges to the developing world by 2024 (around $2.8 billion per year). Taking the virtual floor at the Climate Summit, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen committed to another $1.2 billion for the green climate fund and $485 million in funding to support multilateral climate initiatives.

China did not put in place a new target (called an NDC under Paris, for “Nationally Determined Contribution”.)  Chinawill strive to peak emissions before 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2060. On coal phase-out, it pledged to “strictly limit” any new coal-fired power plant construction over the next five years and phase down coal consumption completely as a long-term goal. Other horrific abusers of human rights and nature were kept on board. Brazil’s Bolsonaro, who had threatened to leave the Paris Agreement, pledged to do more to protect the Amazon, stopping all illegal logging by 2030, and moving from a 2060 end year to 2050 to achieve net zero. Erdogan of Turkey was also on board for limited commitments.  Modi of India, in the grip of this devastating pandemic, spoke of the need to emerge from COVID in a decarbonized, equitable approach. Interestingly, he spoke of the need for the industrialized world to learn from the traditional lifestyle of low consumption of his nation.

Strong commitments from the EU, Germany, Italy (hosting the G20 this year where climate is expected to dominate the discussions), UK, France and Japan are already far ahead of the US. And Canada, even with the increased target, remains the worst in the industrialized world.

The most powerful speeches came from other leaders. A young indigenous woman who, with her family had left Mexico driven away by extreme weather events, only to move to New York in time for Superstorm Sandy, gave a powerful speech.  Xiye Bastida is now an active campaigner with Fridays for the Future. Who could have  imagined  an official event broadcast from the White House where a speaker would denounce “colonialism, oppression and capitalism.”  She was clear, “You need to accept that the era of fossil fuels is over,” and then read out the youth demands for an end to fossil fuel subsidies and an end to new fossil fuel infrastructure, like pipelines. The other stunning speech was from His Holiness Pope Francis.

Strangely enough, the line that will stick with me was from a leader I don’t much like.  Boris Johnson was off-the-cuff and totally committed, as the host of the Glasgow COP26, now scheduled for November 2021.  The UK commitments are impressive, driven by a climate law which since 2008, in five year increments, has driven down UK GHG.  Johnson announced the target of 78% below 1990 levels by 2035, including in its emissions aviation and international shipping, as well as ending support for fossil fuels overseas and doubling international climate finance. The line I liked? “This isn’t some sort of politically correct act of.. of,,” –  he searched for the words and came up with  –  “bunny-hugging!”

There was a lot of coverage of the summit, but this story from the National Catholic Reporter seemed to capture the sense of it.

https://www.ncronline.org/news/earthbeat/pope-francis-earth-day-messages-warns-we-are-edge-climate-change

Most Canadian coverage, naturally enough spoke of Canada’s new target and its adequacy- or inadequacy.  I am so very pleased that the national media interviews our leader, Annamie Paul, who nailed it on CBC Power and Politics: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1888761923737

Well, there is much else going on, but I have written too much already! There was the BC budget this week, with nothing for protecting old growth, so we must keep supporting the Fairy Creek old-growth protectors. And incredibly, more support for LNG from the BC NDP. https://www.bcgreens.ca/b_c_greens_respond_to_2021_budget

Stay well. Be safe. Be very careful.

I will write you next week on the tenth anniversary of our big breakthrough election here in Saanich-Gulf Islands- May 2, 2011!  And speaking of anniversaries, thanks so much to everyone who sent John and me Happy Second Anniversary greetings!  So far, it seems to be working out!

Love,

Elizabeth

Here are some video clips worth watching:

My Earth Day message in the House:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELL9SvR7wEk

Bob Bossin’s wonderful musical Earth Day gift, “Pass it Along” by songwriter Scott Cook,  (with John and me singing too!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNj7LyHqwFE  Pass it along

A great event with Jenica Atwin explaining what is wrong with so-called, “Small Modular Reactors:”

https://www.facebook.com/JenicaAtwinFredericton/posts/1407947686228734

My conversation with Linda Solomon Wood at the National Observer

https://www.nationalobserver.com/2021/04/23/news/video-elizabeth-may-justin-trudeau-joe-biden-and-canadas-climate-policy

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http://www.sgigreenparty.ca/

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I try to avoid any partisan tinge to my columns in Island Tides, but I hope you will forgive me this one time sharing the inspiring experience of the recent Global Greens Congress in Liverpool, U.K.

Not surprisingly, Green members from around the world are keen to avoid excess flights and the GHG emitted to gather from around the world.  So the Global Green Congress only takes place every five years.  The only one I had previously attended was in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2007.  The 2012 congress, in Senegal, conflicted with my work in Parliament.  And since that time, I took on the position of co-chair of the Global Greens Parliamentarians Association, so this was an invitation I couldn’t refuse.

It was the largest gathering in our history – 2000 Greens from every continent. Over 100 countries were represented.  Our Global Greens Parliamentarians Association benefitted from having more Green national-level MPs all in the same room than we have ever had before.  With a total of just under 400 Green MPs from around the world, not all of them were able to attend.  But we had MP participation from Congo, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Spain, Chad, Colombia, Mexico, New Zealand (with charismatic co-leader, young Maori woman, Metiria Turei), Australia’s elected Green Senators, Sweden, Ireland, Finland, Latvia, Iceland, Scotland, France, Belgium, UK and Wales, the lone Green MP Yael Cohen Paran in the Knesset of Israel, and many Green Members of the European Parliament. With my European Green colleagues, we strategized about how to stop CETA. They are the only ones who can.

Our hosts, the Greens of England and Wales, are struggling with the aftermath of Brexit.  Still, the only Green MP in Westminster, co-leader Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton-Pavilion, gave a brilliant speech, finding hope “amid the rubble.”

Greens serving in coalition governments had a harder time getting away, but six Green ministers from the Swedish government participated, including Deputy Prime Minister Isabella Lövin. The Minister of Environment from Luxembourg Green MP Carole Dieschbourg presented on our chances of reaching the Paris target of 1.5 degrees.

But missing were the co-leaders of the Greens of the Netherlands.  Fresh from their fantastic election result, in which the alt-right and racist policies of Geert Wilders’s Dutch Freedom Party were rejected and the Greens leapt from four seats to fourteen, the Left-Greens of the Netherlands were at home, negotiating whether they will have a role in a coalition government.  (Shades of “Borgen” – highly recommended Danish drama, if you haven’t seen it!)

Dutch Left-Green leader Jesse Klavers, 30 years old, with a mixed heritage of Moroccan, Indonesian and Dutch, has proclaimed that the Greens are the antidote to right wing populism. “What I would say to all my left-wing friends in Europe: don’t try to fake the populace,” he said. “Stand for your principles. Be straight. Be pro-refugee. Be pro-European. We’re gaining momentum in the polls. You can stop populism.”

The topic of electoral reform was very much on the Liverpool agenda.  We had a panel discussion on the state of play in gaining fair voting, with those who lack it, former UK Green leader Natalie Bennett, Jill Stein of the US Greens and me learning from Metiria Turei how proportional representation has changed the culture of New Zealand politics.  I was surprised how many Greens from around the world knew about Justin Trudeau’s broken promise for fair voting.  They, like so many Canadians, were angry and disappointed.

In that light, the results in the Netherlands are worth sharing widely in Canada.  Trudeau has wrongly claimed that proportional representation will allow extremist parties to gain power.  But the opposite is true. Without the pressure created by First Past the Post – to unite the Right – extremist parties like Wilders are kept out of power.  If Canada had had proportional representation, the Alliance Party and the Progressive Conservative Party could have co-existed.  The hostile take-over of the PC Party by Alliance essentially moved our whole political spectrum to the right.  And with the perversity of FPTP and false majority rule, Stephen Harper who never had the support of more than 24% of Canadians, ruled with a majority. (24% being the actual population represented by the Conservatives’ 39% popular vote in 2011 with only 60% of Canadians voting.).

In contrast, the Dutch election had a turn-out of 81.9%.  Even if Wilders’ party had come in first, it would have had no chance of gaining more than 35 seats – 40 short of being able to form government.  And none of the other parties in the Netherlands were willing to touch his brand of alt-right populism. It is a shame that, coming in fourth, Wilders won 19 seats, but with Greens in fifth place having 14 seats and mainstream and left parties carrying the majority, it is a sure thing that the new coalition will stand firm against his anti-immigration “Dutch-first” policies.

The theme of global solidarity for a compassionate agenda, respecting human rights, moving aggressively to phase out fossil fuels, end poverty, to eliminate all nuclear weapons, and to empower real grassroots democracy was a shared theme of the Global Greens.  We are a global movement.

Caroline Lucas spoke for us all “We stand against everything the Trump agenda stands for….” And former Australian Green leader, Christine Milne, “The future will be Green, or it will not be at all.”

Originally published by Island Tides newspaper. See http://www.islandtides.com/ for more breaking West Coast news, views and enterprise.

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We recognize that, in order to succeed, global emissions will need to reduce by 33% below current pledges by the year 2030 to achieve a 2°C world, and by 44% for a 1.5°C world, according to the UN Environment Programme.

We recognize that these targets must be translated into an ambitious reduction of greenhouse gas emissions within the remaining Global Carbon Budget as estimated by the IPCC.

We recognize that to have just a 50:50 chance of preventing a 2°C rise in global temperature 80% of global fossil reserves of coal, oil and gas must be left in the ground. This is why we strongly support the fossil fuel divestment movement and the call by Pacific Island nations in the Suva Declaration for “a new global dialogue on the implementation of an international moratorium on the development and expansion of fossil fuel extraction industries, particularly the construction of new coal mines, as an urgent step towards decarbonizing the global economy;”

Green parliamentarians around the world therefore undertake to introduce in the national Parliaments, in which we are represented, domestic legislation to give practical effect to the Paris Agreement.

Such action will be country-specific in each case and will be comprised of at least two parts.

• First, an initiative to leave specific carbon reserves in the ground.
• Second, an undertaking to phase out, or abolish, national fossil fuel subsidies.

State Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in signing the Paris Agreement must be held to the commitments they have made and must take national action consistent with restricting and discouraging fossil fuel extraction in order to live within the limited remaining global carbon budget.

The Global Green parties are committed to that end.

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“It is clear that the collective commitments from all nations here amount to an enormous gap between what is required and what is promised,” said Elizabeth May, MP and leader of Canadian Greens.

Green MPs are very engaged in these negotiations with a number serving as Ministers within governments in the thick of the negotiations. The Global Greens meeting included elected Greens from New Zealand, ‎Australia, France, Germany, Finland, Belgium, Austria, Congo, Sweden, Denmark and the European Parliament, as well as party representatives from Korea, Indonesia and the United States.

“We are united in the call for 1.5 degrees global average temperature increase, decarbonizing our economies by 2050, an end to coal as rapidly as possible and real commitment to the developing world’s ‎call for ‘loss and damage,” added May.

“We have a long way to go,” noted Claire Martin, Climate Change Critic for Green Party of Canada. “Even a strong treaty from Paris merely sets the stage for a re-doubling of efforts to kick our fossil fuel addiction.”

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