OTTAWA – In response to today’s announcement from Pierre Poilievre that he would eliminate the industrial carbon price, Greenpeace Canada’s senior energy strategist Keith Stewart said:

“This has nothing to do with tariffs or affordability, and everything to do with protecting big polluters. This lets Poilievre’s backers in the oil industry off the hook for doing their fair share to fight climate change, while regular people are left to pay the cost in the form of ever-stronger wildfires, floods and storms.”

Greenpeace Canada called out Poilievre for protecting polluters, not people in a peaceful protest at Stornoway in November 2024, and is calling on all political parties to reject Trump-style politics and build a better future and sustainable livelihoods by:

  • Respecting Indigenous rights and sovereignty.
  • Making billionaires and polluting or price-gouging corporations pay their fair share.
  • Building homes for people, not profit.
  • Delivering cheaper, cleaner energy.
  • Investing in safe, healthy communities.

ENDS

Notes to editor:

According to the Canadian Climate Institute, “Between now and 2030, industrial carbon pricing will do more than any other policy to cut Canada’s emissions.”

Under the federal system, large emitters already receive between 80 and 95 percent of their emissions credits for free in order to preserve competitiveness. 

Canadians have said that they want big polluters like oil and gas companies held to account by requiring them to cut their carbon pollution and protect our environment. 

This has always been the plan. While Poilievre has refused to say whether he would keep the federal industrial carbon pricing program, one of his top advisors (Jenni Byrne) implied that ‘Axe the Tax’ includes industrial carbon pricing back in September 2024. 

According to Greenpeace Canada experts, if Canada wants to break our dependence on the United States and access markets like the European Union, then we need to be selling the low-carbon goods they want to buy. 

For more information, please contact:

Laura Bergamo, Communications campaigner, Greenpeace Canada

[email protected] ; +1 438 928-5237