Climate change is an existential threat that demands decisive action today. For decades, Ontario Liberals took leadership to reduce carbon emissions, protect nature and prime agricultural land, incentivize clean energy development, and grow green jobs and investments. This is a legacy of which we Liberals are incredibly proud of and must urgently return to.
Our climate, environment and biodiversity are under threat from record-breaking heat, wildfires, floods and natural disasters. Yet since being elected, Doug Ford and the Conservatives have systematically wiped out the decades of climate action that led to declining greenhouse gas emissions in Ontario. For years, they cancelled renewable and energy-efficiency projects, encouraged sprawl, and undermined conservation and environmental protection. As a result, electricity costs are on the rise, wetlands are being paved over, pollution is spreading, and the threat of brownouts and black outs hang over the province.
Under my leadership, Ontario Liberals will prioritize environmental protection, resilience, clean growth and immediate carbon emissions reductions. By decarbonizing and creating green jobs, we’ll make Ontario a climate leader, grow a resilient economy and protect our cherished natural landscapes. We will do this in meaningful partnership with Indigenous communities, respecting their knowledge, and fostering a shared vision for environmental stewardship and sustainable development.
In conjunction with our Greenbelt and nature, housing, economy, and food and farms platforms, here are some key priorities to return Ontario to a leadership role in the fight against climate change:
- Achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, prioritizing affordability and avoiding placing a disproportionate financial burden on vulnerable communities
- Transform Ontario’s electricity grid by expediting the integration of clean, renewable, and cost-effective energy sources
- Protect the Greenbelt and at least 30 % of Ontario’s rich nature and biodiversity
- Empower Conservation Authorities
- Support zero-emission driving in partnership with the other orders of government and the private sector
- Help homeowners save on utility bills and make their homes emissions-free
- Support alternative low-carbon fuels and advance industrial decarbonization
- Reduce waste and support a circular economy together with producers, consumers, federal and municipal partners
- Create good clean, local jobs, and investments while also ensuring there is education and skills training to make sure there is adequate labour
- Invest in energy storage, carbon capture and utilization technologies
- Build and support new and existing public transit for communities across Ontario
- Support industrial decarbonization while maintaining the competitiveness of Ontario businesses
- Protect farmlands and enhance food security
For more details on our climate plan, review the climate policy backgrounder.
Do you have ideas to help rebuild our Party and province? Email us at [email protected]