The David Suzuki Foundation issued the following statement on progress at Ontario’s Climate Summit of the Americas. Government leaders representing regions across the Americas, including Brazil, Mexico, the U.S. and Canada participated in the summit, which ended today.

The David Suzuki Foundation is encouraged by bold commitments coming from the Climate Summit of the Americas to address climate change. We need aggressive greenhouse gas emissions reductions like those developed by California (the Under 2 Memorandum of Understanding to limit warming to safe levels below 2 C) and supported by subnational leaders across three continents. Canadian provinces —including Quebec, Ontario, B.C. and Newfoundland and Labrador —and municipalities signing on are showing foresight in the lead-up to December’s COP21 UN Climate Conference in Paris. Adding to the momentum, mayors representing 21 of Canada’s big cities are also calling for binding targets to reduce GHG emissions.

Quotes:

“These mounting commitments by subnational governments in the lead-up to Paris show real climate leadership. The momentum is growing behind aggressive and effective targets and solutions that will make a difference,” says Ian Bruce, David Suzuki Foundation science and policy manager.

“Pricing carbon, setting and meeting emissions reductions targets, phasing out coal-fired electricity and supporting transit improvements will be essential moves to tackle climate change. The commitments from the summit must be translated into action on some or all of these fronts if they are to be effective. Let’s not forget, too, that some jurisdictions like Ontario still have further to go to meet previous commitments,” says Karel Mayrand, director general of Quebec, David Suzuki Foundation.

Media contacts:

Ian Bruce
604.306.5095

Karel Mayrand
514-998-5458