Environmental All Candidates Answers to Pre-Forum Questions

Anna Warwick Sears, Liberal Party of Canada, was the only candidate to send us answers to our 3 pre-forum questions.

1. How do you and your party plan to address climate change in a way that is both ambitious and achievable? Please outline your specific targets, timelines, and strategies. How would your party fund this plan?

ANNA WARWICK SEARS

Mark Carney and the Liberal Party have outlined a comprehensive climate change strategy that is both ambitious and achievable. Key components include:

  • Emissions Reduction Targets:

    • Achieve a 40-45% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below 2005 levels by 2030. 

    • Set a new interim target of a 45-50% reduction by 2035. 

    • Commit to net-zero emissions by 2050. 

  • Policy Strategies:

    • Replace the consumer carbon tax with incentives for greener choices, such as rebates for energy-efficient appliances and electric vehicles. 

    • Enhance the Output-Based Pricing System to ensure large industrial emitters contribute fairly to emission reduction efforts. 

    • Invest in clean energy infrastructure, including expanding electric vehicle charging networks and promoting energy-efficient buildings. 

    • Protect our freshwater, including by investing $100 million in a strategic water security technology fund to advance Canadian R&D, AI, monitoring, and data tools. 

    • Protect nature where it protects us, including by implementing nature-based climate solutions which deliver measurable carbon sequestration and biodiversity benefits, while supporting community resilience. 

    • Clean up, maintain, and protect wildlife in and around our coastal waters, including by investing an additional $15 million to modernize the location, retrieval, and responsible disposal of the ghost gear threatening marine mammals and birds.

  • Funding Mechanisms:

    • Allocated over $100 billion toward climate action and clean growth initiatives since 2015, with $53.6 billion dedicated to a green recovery. 

    • Implement a carbon border-adjustment to penalize high-polluting foreign imports, encouraging domestic industries to adopt cleaner technologies. 

These measures aim to balance economic growth with environmental stewardship, ensuring we can pay for it to safeguard a sustainable future for Canadians. 

2. How do you see climate solutions intersecting with related crises in the Vernon-Lake Country-Monashee riding?” 

ANNA WARWICK SEARS

  • Canceling the Consumer Carbon Tax and transitioning to Green Incentives: By replacing the consumer carbon tax with green incentives for adopting energy-efficient appliances and electric vehicles, residents can more affordably reduce their carbon footprint. 

  • Investment in Clean Energy Infrastructure:

    • Working with provinces and territories to build out an East-West electricity grid, in a historic nation-building project, to secure Canadians’ access to affordable, reliable, clean, Canadian electricity.

    • Enhanced support for clean energy projects can lead to the development of local renewable energy sources, promoting job creation and sustainable economic growth in the region. For example, our region is home to a number of solar companies which could benefit from increased investment.

  • Focus on Climate Adaptation:

    • Carney's emphasis on climate adaptation strategies aligns with local efforts, such as the City of Vernon's Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan, which addresses increased risks of wildfires, floods, and droughts. 

    • Funding home retrofits and lowering utility bills while making it easier for low- and middle-income households, including renters, to adopt heat pumps and energy efficiency upgrades including insulation upgrades, heat pump installation, and window replacements.

  • Enhancing Environmental Conservation:

    • Proposes creating new national parks and marine conservation areas and implementing nature-based climate solutions to protect biodiversity and natural habitats, which can act as buffers against wildfires. 

These measures aim to enhance environmental sustainability, economic resilience, and community well-being in Vernon–Lake Country–Monashee.

3. What do you think the federal government should do to address the misinformation and disinformation that is being spread about the climate crisis?

ANNA WARWICK SEARS

The Liberals recognize the significant threat that misinformation and disinformation pose to public understanding and action on the climate crisis. There is a multi-faceted approach the Liberal party would take to address this challenge:

  • Strengthening Public Broadcasting: The Liberals have emphasized the importance of supporting national public broadcasters like the CBC to ensure Canadians have access to reliable and accurate information, thereby countering the spread of false narratives.  Mark Carney just announced the new policy to protect and support the CBC to keep Canada strong.  This plan would Fully equip the CBC to combat disinformation, so that Canadians have a news source they know they can trust.

  • Working with Provincial Governments to enhance Media Literacy: Implementing educational programs aimed at improving media literacy among citizens to help them critically assess information sources and identify misinformation.

  • Promoting Transparency: Encouraging transparency in governmental and scientific communications to build public trust and reduce susceptibility to misleading information.

As voters, we can address misinformation through conversations with friends and family and ensuring we do not vote for political candidates who spread misinformation and disinformation about important topics like climate change and adaptation!

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