Statement by Green Party leader Mike Schreiner: Liberals fail to deliver on climate action

Queen’s Park – Mike Schreiner made the following statement today in response to Liberal inaction on climate change: 
“The Liberals are a bait and switch government. They say one thing and do another.
 
They write reports and talk a good game on climate change but have failed to deliver solutions. The Environmental Commissioner’s annual review of the government’s Climate Change Action Plan is a harsh reality check on the Liberal’s failure to address this issue.
 
Ontario cannot afford to for the government to drop ball on tackling climate change. This year, we witnessed the tragedy that extreme weather events like Hurricane Sandy and severe droughts cause. 
 
Failing to address climate change will hurt our economy. The National Roundtable estimates climate change will cost the economy $5 billion by 2020 and up to $43 billion by 2050. The cost to Ontario’s forestry industry alone could hit $7.4 billion. We will all pay higher insurance rates.
 
Economic forecasts predict strong global economic demand for low carbon infrastructure and clean tech companies. Ontario should be a world leader in the emerging low carbon economy.
 
Instead, the Liberal government punts the challenge down the road. It’s a missed opportunity.
 
In fact, all the old parties at Queen’s Park have missed the boat by refusing to consider the most efficient and cost effective approach to reducing GHGs – a simple, straight forward price on pollution. 
 
British Columbia, California, and Québec have introduced pollution reduction incentives that foster innovation, job creation and economic progress in the low-carbon economy.
 
A revenue neutral price on carbon is a responsible way to create jobs and tackle climate change.”
 
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Contact: 
 
Becky Smit
beckysmit@gpo.ca
Office: 416.977.7476 Cell: 647.830.6486