The Letter

To the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau and the Honourable Chrystia Freeland:

It’s been one year since the 2019 global climate strike—the greatest worldwide mobilisation on climate change in history—and COVID-19 has shown us that the kind of mass mobilization and government action we need on the climate crisis is possible. Even so, we have seen no real climate action from your government.

The COVID-19 pandemic is just one of several immediate, intersecting crises that we are grappling with. The time is now to finally take real action on achieving social, racial, and environmental justice.

We refuse to go back to a status quo that sacrifices our communities and the planet for the sake of corporate profit. We recognize that infinite growth on a finite planet is impossible and irresponsible. We demand a transformation of our society and the / our economy to build a more equitable and resilient future, because we know that decisions made today will impact our futures and those of coming generations.

The Throne Speech will form the foundations of a society for future generations. A Throne Speech that leads us to 3 or 4 degrees of warming will be a crisis that causes death and disruption incomparable to even the pandemic.

This is why we demand that the Throne Speech and subsequent budgets:

• Invests in people, not corporations:
• Makes the wealthiest 1% pay their fair share;
• Creates millions of good, green jobs;
• Provides universal and accessible healthcare, housing, transit and education for all;
• Enshrines food security and clean water for all.
• Dismantles racism and colonialism:
• Upholds Indigenous rights and sovereignty, including implementing UNDRIP into binding law and returning land back to Indigenous communities;
• Guarantees permanent residency status for all;
• Defunds the police, reallocating this money towards social services.
• Treats the climate crisis like the emergency it is:
• Achieves zero emissions by 2030;
• Ends construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure;
• Invests 5% of Canada’s annual GDP in a just transition;
• Guarantees jobs and supports for oil and gas workers and other carbon-dependent industries;
• Pressures wealthier countries to meet targets limiting warming to 1.5°C while increasing financial support for countries in the Global South and others hit hardest by the climate crisis;
• Implements a climate lens on every policy decision, budget, and infrastructure investment.

By publicly signing onto this pledge, we commit to taking action on September 25^th and beyond, and to using my time, energy, and power to work in solidarity with grassroots organizations to further equity and justice. I pledge my support to this campaign’s demands, and will support this youth-led coalition’s fight for a Just Recovery that prioritizes people and planet, over profits.

We implore you to do the same.