Canada’s conservatives reject resolution on climate change being real

A day after Canada’s Conservative Party leader Erin O’Toole urged party members to “change” and accept the reality of climate change, delegates of the party have rejected a resolution to take the environment more seriously.

According to results posted online, 54% of delegates at a virtual policy conference voted no for a proposal recognising that “climate change is real” and that the party is “willing to act” on it.

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The said resolution also aimed at placing more responsibility on “highly polluting” Canadian companies and urge them to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support innovation in green technologies.

Party leader Erin had urged his party delegates to embrace “change” if they wanted to grow the party’s base. Adding he said that they can no longer “ignore the reality of climate change” if they wanted to defeat current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in possible snap elections in the coming months, reported AFP.

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“The debate is over, climate change is real. We will have a serious and comprehensive plan on climate change to reduce emissions. It’s important to me as a father of young children. As a member of Parliament, climate change — and fighting it — is important to the Conservative Party of Canada. Younger voters expect that from us,” O’Toole said during a Saturday conference. 

The Trudeau government imposed a carbon tax in 2019 to curb pollution which is strongly opposed by the Conservative party. O’Toole also emphasised greatly on this in his speech.  

The conservative leader is yet to announce the new plan to replace the tax. 

The Conservatives currently control 120 out of the possible 338 seats in the House of Commons and have indicated weak intentions of pushing out the Trudeau government in the middle of a health pandemic.