William Amos highlights the new federal climate liability bill
William Amos highlights the new federal climate liability bill
Pontiac MP and Parliamentary Secretary for Science William Amos said he has always supported climate action even during the COVID-19 pandemic. A former environmental lawyer, William Amos this week welcomed the tabling of the government’s crucial climate responsibility bill (C-12) in the House of Commons.
“Climate action is not only the just and moral thing to do; it will be the cornerstone of our plan to support and create 1M jobs across Canada. We introduced legislation to force this, and future federal governments to meet Canada’ commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. By transitioning to a net-zero economy—where there are no greenhouse gas emissions or where emissions are completely offset by other actions that remove climate-warming gasses from the atmosphere—and by holding future government accountable, we will create economic growth that benefits everyone, and leave a better, healthier planet for future generations.” commented William Amos.
Here are the measures of Bill C-12 proposed by the Liberals in Ottawa:
- Legally bind the Government and future generations to a process to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
- Set rolling five-year emissions-reduction targets and require plans to reach each one and report on progress.
- Establish the Net-Zero Advisory Body to provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathway to reach its targets.
- Require the Government of Canada to publish an annual report describing how departments and crown corporations are considering the financial risks and opportunities of climate change in their decision-making.
- Enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050.
- Provide for independent third-party review by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development to ensure accountability for all future governments.
- Open the door to judicial review by the courts if any number of mandatory provisions are not upheld by this or future federal governments.
Quebec’s plan
Last Monday, on the provincial scene this time, the Premier of Quebec, François Legault, and the Minister of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change and Minister responsible for the Laval region, Benoit Charette, unveiled the Plan for a green economy 2030 (PEV 2030) and its first implementation plan 2021-2026, with a budget of 6.7 billion dollars over five years. The importance of the sums devoted to this framework policy for electrification and the fight against climate change aims to make Quebec a leader in the green economy by relying on its great strength, its clean electricity.
“This is a solid and ambitious plan to transform our society in a sustainable way and to replace fossil fuels as much as possible with our clean electricity. Our government is already at work, and I am convinced that with the collaboration of my colleagues at the Council of Ministers as well as with that of municipalities, businesses and citizens, we will succeed in our climate transition, a just transition that will take into account differences between regions, between generations and between industries. Together, we will build a greener, more resilient and more prosperous Quebec, ” said Benoit Charette.
Here are some EPI measures:
– Renewal of the discount on the purchase or rental of an electric vehicle and charging stations for citizens, as well as assistance programs for businesses and the taxi industry;
– Increase in the requirements of the standard on zero-emission vehicles to encourage manufacturers to supply the Quebec market with a greater number of vehicles and a greater variety of models;
– Ban on the sale of new gasoline vehicles from 2035;
– Acceleration of the deployment of rapid charging stations by Hydro-Québec and standard charging stations;
– Investments of $ 768 million to make the industrial sector greener and more competitive (support for GHG emission reduction projects, program enhancement and personalized support);
– Injection of over $ 550 million to reduce GHG emissions from heating residential, commercial and institutional buildings by 50%. This target will be achieved in particular by optimum complementarity between the electricity and gas networks and the use of dual energy, by energy efficiency, by the conversion of fuel oil to electricity as well as by the use of renewable natural gas and other sources of renewable energy.
