7 Climate Victories We Achieved Despite Harper

Under Harper, Canada had some of the worst climate policies in the industrialized world. But despite the enormous failings of the federal government - and against all the odds - Canada’s climate movement has achieved some huge victories in the past decade. If this is what we could achieve under one of the worst federal governments imaginable, just think what we can achieve with a slightly more sympathetic one. Here are 6 climate victories we achieved despite Harper...

1. Ontario got rid of coal

Paul Langrock / © Paul Langrock / Greenpeace

In 2014, Ontario closed its last coal-fired generating station, making Ontario the first jurisdiction in North America to fully eliminate coal as a source of electricity generation. The province’s premier Kathleen Wynne also introduced legislation that will ban coal from being used for electricity production in Ontario ever again. This amazing victory was the result of years of campaigning by provincial environmental and health organisations.

2. Alberta is starting to get serious on climate

Jiri Rezac / © Jiri Rezac / Greenpeace / Via getfreshalberta.com

Despite being home to the tar sands - the most environmentally destructive project on the planet - the recently-elected provincial government in Alberta is starting to take the issue of climate change seriously in the province. The government has opened up a public consultation on climate change and - inspired by Ontario - its climate change review panel is looking at ways to phase out coal-fired power generation as quickly as possible. Watch this space.

3. More jobs in renewable energy than in tar sands

Even in the midst of Harper’s relentless crusade to make Canada an oil-based superpower, Canada's clean energy sector jumped 37% in the past five years and now employs more people in Canada than the tar sands — almost 24 thousand compared to a little over 22 thousand.

4. Pipelines are not getting built

Zack Embree / © Zack Embree / Greenpeace

Harper certainly loved his pipelines. He vehemently supported five major pipeline proposals put forward under his government: Keystone XL, Kinder Morgan, Northern Gateway, Energy East and MacKenzie Valley. And yet, despite the federal government flouting every rule in the book to try to get these projects given the stamp of approval, not one has gotten off the ground in Canada. People power and First Nations activists have stood firmly in the way, and will continue to do so until each proposed pipeline plan is scrapped - permanently.

5. Vancouver plans to be the greenest city in the world

Chadversary / Via Flickr: chadversary

It’s not just the provinces that have taken action in the absence of federal leadership on climate. The city of Vancouver has set out to establish itself as the greenest city in the world by 2020 and become 100 per cent carbon neutral. Among the Green Vancouver targets are doubling the number of green jobs in the city by 2020 and making all new building in the city carbon neutral from 2020 onwards, while dramatically cutting emissions from existing buildings. Way to go, Vancouver!

6. Communities are going solar

In the heart of Alberta’s tar sands, the community of Little Buffalo has decided to forge a new future and become powered by the sun. The 500-strong community in northern Alberta has installed a 20.8 kW solar project which will power the First Nation’s health center, and put additional energy back to the grid. The community has endured three decades of intensive oil, gas, logging, fracking and tar sands exploitation and in 2011 had to deal with one of the largest oil spills in Alberta’s history. The new solar project aims to put the community on the path back to self-sufficiency.

7. Canada is not drilling for oil in the fragile Arctic

Keri Coles / © Greenpeace / Keri Coles

With the price of oil so low and the risks of operating in the remote Arctic so high, oil companies like Chevron and Imperial have put their plans to drill for oil in the western Arctic ocean on hold. And in the eastern Arctic people power is winning. Dangerous oil exploration in the form of seismic blasting was cancelled for 2015 in Baffin Bay and Davis Strait after a coastal Inuit community in Nunavut challenged an NEB decision that puts their traditional livelihood and marine mammals at great risk.

People power has been winning victories for the climate across Canada throughout the difficult Harper decade. With a change of government, we now have the opportunity to make much greater strides of progress in our organising. Shell recently cancelled its plans to drill for oil in the Alaskan arctic and President Obama announced that he has canceled future Arctic drilling leases, creating a unique opportunity for Trudeau to do the same for the Canadian Arctic. By mobilising together, we can build a country that champions climate action, strong democracy, and respect for human rights.

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