Open Letters to Prime Minister Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh

Ontario Clean Air Alliance, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, Canadian Federation of Students Ontario, Environmental Defence, Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, and more than 25 other organizations are asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh to work together to establish federal Clean Electricity Regulations that will:

a)     Prohibit the building of new gas plants in Ontario effective immediately; and

b)     Require Ontario to move to a net zero-carbon electricity grid by 2030.

Please click here to read our letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Please click here to read our letter to Jagmeet Singh, Leader of the New Democratic Party.

Please click here to send your own message to Prime Minister Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh.

Background

On March 22, 2022 Prime Minister Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh signed a Supply and Confidence Agreement which pledged to achieve significant greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution reductions by 2030.

However, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has announced plans that threaten Trudeau’s and Singh’s ability to meet their climate commitment. Specifically, Premier Ford has recently announced that Ontario will build new gas-fired power plants while increasing the GHG pollution of the province’s existing gas plants by 375% by 2030 and by more than 600% by 2040.

Doug Ford’s plan is a clear and unequivocal threat to Canada’s ability to meet its Paris Agreement climate targets. It will also cancel half the pollution reduction benefits Ontario achieved by phasing out its dirty coal-fired power plants.

Fortunately, Ontario can phase-out gas power by 2030 and lower its electricity costs by investing in energy conservation and efficiency, wind and solar energy, and increasing its electricity cooperation with Quebec, including using its next-door neighbour’s hydro-electric reservoirs to serve as a giant battery for Ontario’s wind and solar energy.

According to a report released by Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator, Ontario can avoid the need for new gas plants and lower its electricity costs by up to  $290 billion by investing in zero-carbon options to keep the lights on, including solar power, energy storage and smart energy efficiency programs.

What you can do

Please send a message to Prime Minister Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh requesting that they work together to establish strong Clean Electricity Regulations that will phase-out gas power in Ontario and move our province to a net zero-carbon electricity grid by 2030.

Thank you for making the time!