group SIGN-ON
THE CLIMATE action plan
The Ontario Climate Emergency Campaign encourages diverse groups from every sector to urgently work together towards our shared climate action goals.
Together we can be stronger in securing our future by holding the government accountable to the critical Climate Action Plan below.
Sign on your group or organization to the campaign today.
The climate action plan
Acknowledging the Code Red for humanity declared by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the closing window in which to enact impactful positive change, we will hold the Government of Ontario accountable to the following Climate Action Plan.
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These actions must be embedded in legislation to ensure accountability, transparency and inclusion, with periodic mandated public reporting on all measurable outcomes.
01
Set binding climate targets based on science and justice consistent with global efforts to limit planetary warming to 1.5°C.
Set binding greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets relative to 2005 levels of 30% by 2025; 60% by 2030; and 100% by 2040. Establish rolling 5-year carbon budgets that decline over time towards zero emissions by 2040 or sooner. Review and update targets regularly as climate science evolves. Track and report progress on these actions every year.
02
Prioritize and respect Indigenous sovereignty and autonomy.
Build a new relationship between the Province of Ontario and Indigenous peoples premised on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Recognize and respect Indigenous peoples’ jurisdiction and right to free, prior, and informed consent within their territories. Collaborate in true partnership with Indigenous peoples on shared climate priorities, recognizing that spiritual value of the land is reflected in Indigenous culture with a commitment to respecting Mother Earth.
03
Invest in a thriving, regenerative, zero emissions economy.
Invest 2% of Ontario’s GDP to advance the zero emissions, decarbonized, renewable economy and create many thousands of decent, secure, sustainable jobs across multiple sectors. Create new economic and public institutions, diverting monies from destructive fossil fuels, and spend what it takes to immediately reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Do so recognizing that the cost of inaction will massively outweigh the cost of immediate urgent climate action. Regulate and support governmental holdings to rapidly divest from fossil fuel exposure, and businesses to decarbonize while promoting green manufacturing.
04
End all fossil fuel subsidies immediately and rapidly wind down all fossil fuel use.
Phase out gas-fired electricity by 2030. Redirect funding to energy efficiency and fully renewable low carbon energy sources. End all fossil fuel subsidies, tax and financial incentives immediately. Ensure that all high emitting industries and sectors that create or profit from fossil fuel pollution pay their fair share of the costs of the resulting climate damage. Place an immediate moratorium on any further investment in nuclear energy to invest instead in new renewable energy.
05
Prioritize public health, as the climate crisis is our single greatest health crisis.
Recognize that climate change is the single greatest health threat of this century and taking climate action is our greatest health opportunity. Invest in sustainable, equitable, and accessible healthcare. Incorporate Health in All Policies, One Health tenets, and Wellbeing Economy indicators into all future policy decisions, moving beyond economic evaluations and GDP-based measures.
06
Accelerate the transition to zero emission buildings.
Establish and implement stringent net-zero emissions building codes on all new builds by 2025 including elimination of fossil fuel based heating, while incentivizing deep retrofits for existing buildings to achieve net-zero emissions and inclusive affordable housing with low energy costs. Ban new gas connections by the end of 2023. Create a Crown Corporation to mobilize the workforce for the sustainable employment opportunities that will be generated.
07
Accelerate the transition to zero emissions transportation and ensure ongoing sustainable community development.
Invest in affordable, accessible, and convenient zero-emissions public transit connecting and interconnecting communities, including northern communities. Reallocate infrastructure funds from unnecessary highway expansion including cancellation of Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass to sustainable public transit and active transportation. Mandate all new vehicle sales to be zero emissions by 2030. Prevent urban sprawl through sustainable urban development and intensification, while promoting healthy walkable, cycling-friendly communities with ample green infrastructure.
08
Urgently protect natural biodiversity.
Support and invest in Indigenous-led conservation initiatives. Restore natural ecosystems functions, preserve biodiversity, and increase carbon sequestration, including important carbon sinks such as the Greenbelt, the boreal forests of northern Ontario, and the James Bay lowlands, thereby improving human and ecosystem resilience to climate impacts. Protection must include at least 30% by 2030 of forests, wetlands, greenspaces and fresh water including our Great Lakes and other sources of drinking water. Restore powers and funding to Conservation Authorities.
09
Invest in local, organic, regenerative agriculture and plant-rich food systems.
Incentivize carbon storage in soil, restore biodiversity, restore degraded ecosystems, and ensure food sovereignty and food security across the province. Increase public access to locally-sourced, affordable, sustainably-produced, and plant-rich foods and implement reductions in food waste. Support farmers in shifting operations to regenerative agriculture. Support Indigenous communities wishing to maintain traditional food systems and enhance their food security.
10
Institute a broad public education campaign, as we all have the right to know what’s at stake.
Tell the truth about the climate and biodiversity crises and their critical impacts on human survival, in order to educate and mobilize broad community-based and societal action. Recognize climate change as the single greatest threat to human health of our time. Highlight the multiple co-benefits and massive opportunities that will result from taking climate action, including health and economic benefits, as well as employment opportunities.
11
Reinstate an independent office of the Environmental Commissioner.
Empower and adequately fund the Environmental Commissioner on an ongoing basis to independently oversee the implementation of the essential environmental actions to be taken.
12
Leave no one behind.
As we make the massive and urgent transformations critically needed to secure our shared future, ensure a just transition for Indigenous, resource-dependent, remote, and marginalized communities, low income families, fossil fuel workers, and all others disproportionately affected by the necessary shift to a low carbon economy. Prepare our communities for the impacts of the climate crisis to minimize human suffering and infrastructure damage. Address environmental racism and intergenerational justice by supporting those most vulnerable to climate change impacts including future generations. Recognize that our only way forward is to act together urgently, collectively, massively to safeguard the present and secure the future for ourselves, our children, and for generations yet to come.
Signatories
Agricultural
Crooked Farmz
Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario
Green Thumbs Growing Kids
GreenerFarms
Land Over Landings
National Farmers Union - Ontario
Toronto Urban Growers
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Arts & Culture
100 WATT Productions: Innocent Anarchy
Aruna & the Sirens
Artists for Real Climate Action (ARCA)
Common Thread Community Chorus
Connection Earth Collaborative
Frolick
Music for Climate Justice
Sectoral Climate Arts Leadership for the Emergency (SCALE)
Silence Guelph
The Culture of Sustainability
The People's Climate Foundation
WeeFestival of Arts and Culture
Business
Achieve Sustainability Inc.
Alimentary Initiatives
Anarres Natural Health
Anythink Creative
Braden Homes Ltd
Bullfrog Power
CIO's Beyond Borders Group
Climate Ventures
Coolearth Architecture Inc.
Exactus Energy
Future Food Salon
Goldfinch Energy
Good Investing
Green Economy Law Professional Corporation
Method Collective
Parkbus
Power Saving Systems Inc.
Saponetti
Shift Action for Pension Wealth and Planet Health
Starfield CreatorCo
Unboxed Market
Zero Waste Toronto Trading Zone
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Community
Action 13
Bike Windsor Essex/Windsor Bike Kitchen
BikeBrampton
Brampton Environmental Alliance
Building Roots
Cardinal Place
CBLCA Environmental Subcommittee
Climate Action Timiskaming
Climate Impact Fund
Climate Momentum Stratford
Community Power Northumberland Co-operative Inc
Community Resilience to Extreme Weather (CREW)
Council of Canadians Guelph Chapter
Council of Canadians Kitchener Waterloo Chapter
Council of Canadians Kitchissippi-Ottawa Valley Chapter
Council of Canadians London Chapter
Council of Canadians Peel Chapter
Council of Canadians Peterborough and Kawarthas
Council of Canadians Toronto Chapter
Council of Canadians Windsor Essex Chapter
Cycle Toronto
Decolonial Solidarity
Drawdown Newmarket-Aurora
Drawdown Richmond Hill
ecoCaledon
EcoPembroke
Etobicoke Climate Action
Free Transit Ottawa
Future Food Salon
Guelph Green New Deal
Green 11
Green 13
Green Neighbours 21
Green Neighbours Network of Toronto
Green Orillia
Kingston Action Group for a Basic Income Guarantee
Langford Conservancy
Leadnow
Mississauga Environmental Awareness
Mining Injustice Solidarity Network
Nith Valley EcoBoosters
Oakville Climate Hub
Ontario Voters’ Coalition
Park People
Socialist Alternative Toronto
Stop Sprawl Durham
Stop Sprawl HamOnt
Stop Sprawl Orillia
Stop Sprawl Peel
Stop Sprawl York Region
Sustainable Cobourg
Sustainable Mississauga
Sustainable Waterloo Region
The Falstaff Family Centre
Toronto Women's City Alliance
Toronto East Residents for Renewable Energy
Wasaga Beach Climate Action Team
Wise Communities
Windsor Law Cities and Climate Action Forum
Windsor of Change
Windsor/Essex On Watch (WOW)
Wise Communities
Zero Waste Toronto Trading Zone
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Education
7th Generation Initiative
Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) BC Council
Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) National
Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) Ontario Council
Climate Change Toronto
Earth Education League
Elementary Teachers of Toronto
Environmental Education Ontario
Environtastic
Students for Education, Empowerment and Development (SEED) Kenya
Sustainability Literacy Initiative UW (University of Waterloo)
York University Faculty Association Climate Emergency Committee
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Environment & Climate Action
Below2C
Biodiversity and Climate Action Niagara
Canadian Climate Challenge
Citizens Environment Alliance
Citizens United for a Sustainable Planet (CUSP)
Citizen’s Climate Lobby Canada
Clean Air Partnership
Climate Action London
Climate Action Muskoka
Climate Emergency Unit
Climate Network Lanark
Climate Pledge Collective
Climate Reality Project Leadership Corps - Canada
ClimateFast
Collingwood Climate Action Team
Council of Canadians
David Suzuki Foundation
Drawdown Newmarket-Aurora
Drawdown Toronto
Ecohesian
Environment Haliburton!
Environmental Defence
eMERGE Guelph Sustainability
For Our Grandchildren
For Our Kids Gatineau (FOK Gatineau)
For Our Kids Mississauga Oakville Burlington Hamilton (FOK MOBH)
For Our Kids Toronto (FOK Toronto)
Fossil Free University of Waterloo (FFUW)
Grand River Environmental Network
Green Majority Radio
Green Planet
Halton Action for Climate Emergency Now (HACEN)
Hamilton 350
Impact Zero
Iron & Earth
Just Earth: A Coalition for Environmental Justice
MobilizeTO
Ontario Clean Air Alliance
Ontariogreen Conservation Association
Ontario Nature
Pan African Centre for Climate Policy
People's Climate Movement Toronto/GTA
Peterborough Alliance for Climate Action
Perth County Sustainability Hub
Protect Our Winters Canada
Save Ojibway
Scugog Climate Action Now
Sierra Club Canada Foundation
Sierra Club Ontario - Peel Group
Simcoe County Greenbelt Coalition
Stand.earth
StopPlastics
Sunset Country Spirit Alliance
Target Climate
The Climate Project Canada
The Land Between
Toronto350
Toronto Climate Save
Toronto East End Climate Collective (TEECC)
Toronto Environmental Alliance
Wellington Water Watchers
Wilderness Committee
Windfall Ecology Centre
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Faith
Bathurst United Church
Bishop's Committee on Creation Care, Anglican Diocese of Toronto
Canadian Interfaith Fast for the Climate
Canadian Unitarians for Social Justice
Christians for Creation Care Halton-Peel
Church of St Stephen-in-the-Fields, Toronto
Danforth Jewish Circle
Diocese of Ontario Green Group
EnviroMuslims
Faith & the Common Good
Felician Sisters
Green Ummah
Hamilton Buddhist Temple
KAIROS Guelph
Neighbourhood Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Noor Cultural Centre
Pax Christi
Pax Christi Toronto
Religious Society of Friends (Quaker) Toronto Monthly Meeting
Shoresh Jewish Environmental Programs
Simcoe County KAIROS
Social Justice & Advocacy Committee, Anglican Diocese of Toronto
Toronto Diocesan Council of Development and Peace/Caritas Canada
Toronto United Mennonite Church
Trinity-St Paul's United Church
Woodroffe United Church
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Health
Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE)
Canadian Climate Psychiatry Alliance
Canadian Federation of Medical Students
Cdn Federation of Medical Students' Health & Environment Adaptive Response Taskforce (CFMS HEART)
Canadian Health Association for Sustainability and Equity (CHASE)
Federation of Medical Women of Canada-Women, Peace and Security Committee
Green Is Health
MD Moms for a Healthy Recovery
Naturopathic Doctors for Environmental and Social Trust (NEST)
PEACH Health Ontario
Peterborough Health Coalition
Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO)
Registered Nurses Association of Ontario - Algoma Chapter
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Justice
Council of Canadians - Ottawa Chapter
Disability Justice Network of Ontario
Group of 78
Just Earth
Science for Peace
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Labour
CUPE Local 3903
Keep Transit Moving Coalition
Ontario Network of Injured Workers Groups
Thunder Bay District Injured Workers Support Group
Toronto and York Region Labour Council
Workers' Action Centre
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Seniors
Climate Action for Lifelong Learners (CALL)
Climate Legacy
Grand(m)others Act to Save the Planet (GASP)
Greys for Green
Seniors for Climate Action Now! (SCAN!)
Toronto Raging Grannies
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Youth
Canadian Federation of Students - Ontario
Community Climate Council
Fridays for Future Toronto
Love the Skin You're In Youth Resiliency Project
Mississauga Climate Action
Shake Up the Establishment
Student Christian Movement Canada
Stop Ecocide Toronto
Windsor Essex Youth Climate Council
Youth Climate Save Canada