Greens table a motion to declare climate emergency in NB 

Fredericton – On May 7, 2019 the Green caucus tables a motion calling on the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick to declare climate emergency.

“One of the key reasons I ran for office was to tackle climate breakdown,” says Megan Mitton, MLA for Memramcook-Tantramar. “Getting this government to act on climate change is one of my priorities.  We understand the problem, we have the solutions, we need an appropriate response.  An emergency response.  Youth are demanding that we save their future.  The science is clear.  We must act now.”

“Our children will judge us on the actions we take today to avoid the worst consequences of the climate breakdown. I have been pushing for climate action for three decades, and now we are experiencing the realities from climate breakdown, there is not time to lose, this truly is an emergency.”

Text of the motion:

WHEREAS the findings of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change demonstrate that to avoid a more than 1.5°C rise in global warming, global emissions would need to fall by around 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching net zero by around 2050;

WHEREAS the devastating impact that volatile and extreme weather is already having on public health and safety, government finances, and the economy through flooding and intense storms, the spread of tick-borne diseases, and the decline in fisheries such as mackerel, crab and shrimp;

WHEREAS New Brunswick has failed to contribute to meeting biodiversity targets, with an alarming trend in species decline, and that the current forest management system is counterproductive to tackling those problems;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that Legislative Assembly declare an environment and climate emergency

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Assembly urge the government to immediately implement New Brunswick’s climate action plan and increase its ambition by establishing short-term targets for the roll-out of renewable energy and low carbon transport, and to move swiftly to capture economic opportunities and green jobs in the low carbon economy while managing risks for workers and communities currently reliant on carbon intensive sectors such as oil refining and coal-fired power production; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the Legislative Assembly urge the government to lay before the House within the next six months an implementation strategy for the climate action plan.

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