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On November 10, 2009 the Municipal Council of London Ontario signed an emergency resolution urging the federal government of Canada to take action on climate change. Citizens in municipalities across Canada have been mobilizing for urgent action on the climate change crisis.
On November 20th Federation of Canadian Municipalities' (FCM) National Board of Directors approved an emergency resolution on municipal leadership in climate change action.
This resolution calls on the Government of Canada to recognize and support municipal leadership and action in greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction as part of Canada’s efforts to meet national or international climate change objectives.
The resolution is designed to tell the municipal story – that cities and communities act while others continue to talk – and it builds on the FCM campaign for federal support, including financial support, for municipal GHG reduction initiatives like landfill gas capture, fleet upgrades, or building efficiency. The resolution, which is now on the FCM website, will continue to build political, media and public awareness of the FCM climate change position in the lead up to a report that will be released within two weeks. This report demonstrates that municipal GHG reduction strategies can make a substantial contribution to national targets at cost comparable or better than most other strategies currently being discussed.
Cory Morningstar, speaking for Canadians for Action on Climate Change, states “We now have a strong message coming from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities demanding action on climate change directed to the Harper minority government. We are now facing a real and rapidly rising risk of planetary catastrophe and therefore we are now, today, in a state of dire global emergency.
"Therefore – an emergency resolution is absolute common sense. We applaud the FCM for acknowledging this fact. We are now well on our way to six degrees – a temperature which would support little life. If this does not constitute a global emergency – we do not know what does.”
The growing national debate over Canada’s climate change action in the lead up to COP15, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that begins in two weeks in Copenhagen, gives municipalities the opportunity to demonstrate that real change can result in more efficient and competitive cities and communities.
FCM will also be attending COP15 and will be providing support services to any Canadian municipal leaders present.
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The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE