Banning thermal coal: what you can do to help

In 2021, the Liberal government made an election promise to ban thermal coal by 2030. However, in the midst of a climate crisis, we believe greater urgency is necessary. Last summer’s deadly extreme heat and devastating fires, and last fall’s catastrophic flooding, demonstrated the serious and present nature of climate change. The vulnerability of ecosystems like Burns Bog to the effects of climate change, and the health of current and future populations, demands action.

Currently, Canada’s policies and actions are not consistent with our national commitments made through the Paris Agreement, and do not align with our Paris Agreement goal of limiting average global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C. In fact, Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions have increased since the Paris Agreement was signed, making us the worst performing of all G7 nations since the 2015 Climate Conference. 

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), burning thermal coal is the single largest contributor to climate change as well as a major source of toxic pollution that harms human health. Investing in and developing alternatives to coal reliance, such as renewable energy, should be our focus. Burning coal does not have a place in Canada’s envisioned future: so why is Canada still extracting and exporting the product?

We need to take immediate action to ban thermal coal now, and we have the legal tools to do it. The attached letter compels the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to comply with the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and report back within 90 days. We compel you to use this as a template; feel free to add your own message to this format, or create your own letter informed by the one posted here. We also suggest sending your letter to the Environment and Climate Change Critics of other political parties, who can hold the federal government responsible. 

The letter can be downloaded as a word document, and edited as you please. No postage is required when you send a letter to an MP, all you need is an envelope! 

Make your voice heard today, and help guide our government towards a carbon neutral future.