This Tuesday, people across Canada will watch four of the major political parties debate the topics they feel will resonate with the electorate this year. There is one issue, however, that has been largely neglected throughout this campaign and youth are demanding answers.

“Climate scientists have agreed that we need to cap global emissions by 2015. That's 4 years from now,” Robin Tress, a regional coordinator with the CYCC in Halifax, Nova Scotia. “That’s about the same length of time as a standard government term. We need to know how each candidate plans to accomplish that.”
   
Over the past week, young Canadians have demonstrated that they are not content to let this election slip past, once again ignoring the interests of future generations. Hundreds of emails and phone calls to the consortium have emphasized the importance of addressing climate change and calling on the media to include the following question in the debates tomorrow;

“Youth know that the enormous challenges we currently face are also powerful opportunities, and that the solutions to the climate and energy crises will also pave the way to recovery from our current economic crisis, through the creation of jobs, a renewed investment in arts, culture and education, and a shift towards a new system that reflects the needs of our generation. What will you do to turn the changes we need into realities, to create the clean, live-able and just future that youth in Canada are calling for?”

Malcolm MacLean, a 21 year old from British Columbia, explained why he felt it was important send his message to the consortium,

“It is crucial that climate change is a part of our national conversation, not only for the sake of making the best possible choices in response to this issue, but also because we need to have a national democratic debate that engages our youth; environmental issues, and democratic deficit, consistently sit at the top of our list. After all, we care about the conditions that we will have to live in for the rest of our lives, and those of our children.”

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CONTACT | Emilie Novaczek
Media Coordinator, CYCC
emilie@ourclimate.ca

FOR COMMENT | Cameron Fenton
National Director, CYCC
director@ourclimate.ca
514-467-6413

The Canadian Youth Climate Coalition is a united front of youth from across Canada tackling the biggest challenge of our generation, the climate crisis. Acting locally, provincially, federally, and internationally, we combine our forces to educate and
empower youth. We organize campaigns and actions to create the change we need to see in the world. Learn more at ourclimate.ca.