Force of Nature Alliance is a Metro Vancouver regional organization pushing local governments to take bold action on climate change. We are a 100% volunteer organization supported by donations, organized in 6 teams across 9 municipalities. We’ve advocated for municipal climate emergency declarations, building standards, transportation issues, and a range of issues specific to the areas a given Community Action Team (CAT) operates, and our membership consists of thousands of individuals in the Lower Mainland. 

We reached out to every candidate in Port Moody-Coquitlam with questions about their views and their parties' policies on climate action. We have provided their responses below along with a grade from us on each question.

We reached out to the Desta McPherson (PPC), Nelly Shin(CPC) and Roland Verrier (MLPC), but they have not responded to our requests.

Report Card

Detailed Answers

1 Emissions

The recent IPCC Code Red for Humanity report states that to prevent temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, global emissions must be reduced to net-zero by 2050, and to meet that target global emissions must be drastically reduced (approximately 50%) by 2030. However, many countries that are poorer than Canada may lack the resources to make such a reduction by 2030, making it more important that richer countries fully achieve their goals.

What should Canada's 2030 emissions target commitment be, compared with its revised Paris Agreement target of a 40-45%[1] reduction, and the IPCC’s recommended 50% reduction?

2 Accountability

In 2015, the Government of Canada committed to decreasing greenhouse gas emissions by 30% below 2005 levels by 2030[2]. By 2019, not only had emissions seen no reduction, they had actually increased by approximately 1%[3].

What kind of accountability measures would you suggest to ensure we achieve our targets?

Will Davis (LPC): In November 2020, the Liberal Government introduced the Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which establishes a legally binding process to set five-year national emissions-reduction targets starting in 2030, as well as to develop science-based emissions-reduction plans to achieve each target.

The Act holds the Government of Canada to account by requiring the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to report to Parliament on each national emissions target. The Act also requires the Minister of Finance to publish an annual report in which every federal department and crown corporation explains how it manages climate-related financial risks and opportunities, leading to investments that are better for the public purse and the environment. Additionally, a re-elected Liberal Government will legislate emissions caps and reductions for the oil and gas sector with 5-year targets to ensure that the sector reaches net-zero emissions by 2050. I support these efforts and commitments whole-heartedly.

Bonita Zarrillo (NDP): An NDP government will create a Climate Accountability Office to provide independent oversight of federal climate progress, to engage the public, and to make recommendations on how to achieve our goals.

3 Technology

To achieve net-zero by 2050, Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Canadian Energy Regulator suggest that Canada will have to emit little to no carbon dioxide with carbon dioxide removal technologies offsetting any remaining emissions. The clean energy revolution will require a mix of technologies.

Of the following options, which 2 (in order) are the most important to the future of Canada's economy: oil, natural gas, wind, solar, geothermal, tidal, nuclear, hydrogen, carbon capture, and direct air capture?

4 Oil and Gas

According to the Government of Canada’s official greenhouse gas inventory, the largest source of emissions in the Canadian economy is the fossil energy sector. It has been our fastest growing source of emissions since 2005.

Will you sign the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty which calls for halting further expansion, phasing out fossil fuel production, and providing a just transition for impacted workers?

5 Investment and Subsidization of Fossil Fuels

Currently, the fossil energy sector receives financial and regulatory support from the federal government in the form of investments, subsidies, tax breaks, and exemptions. These appear to run counter to the goal of transitioning away from the use of fossil fuels and getting to net zero emissions.

By what date will you commit to ending the financial and regulatory support provided to the fossil energy sector by the federal government?

6 Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion

The Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion twins an existing pipeline from the oil sands to Vancouver, nearly tripling the current pipeline capacity, to facilitate the exports of oil, which the IPCC emphasizes Canada must produce and sell less of.

Will you commit to actively opposing the continued construction and operation of the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion?

Will Davis (LPC): We are in a climate emergency and action can’t wait - but we can’t leave behind the hundreds of thousands of workers. Our platform commits to a $2 billion Futures Fund for oil-producing provinces to aid in economic diversification, and I will be proud to work with the Liberal team to ensure our Just Transition legislation incorporates feedback and knowledge from all impacted communities. A re-elected Liberal Government will also launch a Clean Jobs Training Centre to help industrial, skilled, and trade workers across sectors upgrade or gain new skills to be on the leading edge of zero-carbon industry.

The transition to a green economy is one of the greatest job creation opportunities in a generation, and we need a progressive, forward-looking government with a real plan to take advantage of it. 

Bonita Zarrillo (NDP): We cannot and will not leave people behind. Moving to a zero-carbon economy presents a unique opportunity for new jobs and growth. Part of our plan involves created a million new jobs related to the clean energy sector – in electrifying transit and transportation, the massive undertaking of retrofitting buildings, and other clean growth industries. The other priority has to be in working with workers, communities and companies in traditional industries, as they move to value-added production. The perfect example is here at home, where BC has become a leader in the meeting the global demand for more mass timber and engineered wood products and production.

Bonita Zarrillo (NDP): The examples we need to follow as a society must come from the top – federal leadership is needed now more than ever. That means not only taking care of its own house by delivering on commitments to reduce emissions, but also in working with industries and communities to make it easier for people to become part of a clean-energy society.

Bonita Zarrillo (NDP): For me, it’s connecting the dots for people. And please forgive the generalities as I lay out my meaning here. But during summers like this with the wildfires and smoke, there’s both an intellectual and visceral understanding of the threat of climate change – but people don’t extend that to their everyday lives and realize, as an example, that letting their car idle for 30 minutes so they can keep their A/C on is contributing to the problem. On a larger scale, public information research has shown repeatedly that people don’t think our actions here in Canada can make any dent in the crisis relative to emission levels in other parts of the world, perceived or real. We need to undertake a massive awareness and education initiative to buy people into the belief that their actions can truly help solve our climate emergency.