Let's vote for the environment: A comparison tool

In four days, we’ll have the chance to do something that could really make a difference to our planet. To help you make your choice, Équiterre and Environmental Defence have compared the main parties’ environmental commitments. Take a look at our analysis of the main federal parties’ platforms today!

Analyse partis

Essential facts

• The current government prioritizes pipeline projects and the development of tar sands, which emit three to four times more GHGs than conventional crude oil. Plus, their extraction, transportation and use cause environmental damage, such as habitat degradation. There is a high risk of spills, which may jeopardize major drinking water supplies and contaminate our communities. On top of that, tar sands bring minimal economic benefits and contribute to global warming.
• Canada, once seen as an environmental leader, was the only country to pull out of Kyoto.
• The International Energy Agency recommends that two thirds of fossil fuel reserves stay buried to keep global warming under 2°C by the end of the decade.
• In the run-up to the United Nations Conference in Paris (COP21) at the end of the year, the Canadian government has adopted one of the least ambitious GHG reduction targets of industrialized countries.
• Scientists from around the world are urging the international community to act now to keep global warming under 2°C by 2100 and limit the damage—more frequent heatwaves, the warming of the atmosphere and oceans, the extinction of many animal and plant species, the risk of conflicts over access to food, water and other resources, and migration due to floods, landslides, storms and other disasters.

To stop the list from growing and impacts from multiplying, there’s a simple solution: vote for a party that understands that tackling climate change and GHG reduction are compatible with sustainable economic development and that renewable energies create more sustainable and high-paying jobs than fossil fuels. The green economy is in full swing! (French only)

In four days, on the eve of COP21, let’s do something important for the planet, beyond political partisanship and national boundaries. Let’s think about our communities, already affected by climate change, about our children, grandchildren and future generations: let’s vote. It’s the best way to fight cynicism, and most importantly, build a green future without the energies of the past.