Federal Election 2015 - Environmental Platforms

In approximately two weeks, voters will head to the polls for Canada’s 42nd federal election. Six weeks after, the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP21) will be held in Paris. This is incredibly important, as the goal of COP21 is to achieve a new international agreement on the climate, aiming to keep global warming below 2°C.[i] The agreement will also focus on discussions regarding mitigation and efforts on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in order to limit global warming.[ii] At COP21, Canada will need to take an international stance on climate change efforts and it is vital that we have a leader who will actively engage in climate talks and show the world that Canada is ready to take action on climate change.
With such a long election campaign, it is easy to get lost in the party platforms and the many promises made by candidates while on the campaign trail. With information compiled from various news sources, I summarized the environmental platforms of the Conservative Party, the Liberal Party, the New Democratic Party and the Green Party. It is crucial to educate yourself on the party platforms so you can make an informed decision on October 19th.