the KYOTOplus Campaign

The KYOTOplus campaign is a project of Canadian public interest groups designed to mobilize public support for an urgent solution to the global warming crisis.

There are two main components to the campaign. First, Canadian politicians have been asked to take the KYOTOplus Pledge, calling on them to support strong action against global warming in Canada and around the world.

Second, we are asking individual Canadians to sign the KYOTOplus Petition. The petition calls for Canada to reduce greenhouse gas emission at least 25 per cent (from the 1990 level) by 2020.

We are targeting a minimum of one million signatures for this petition. Our aim is to deliver these signatures to the United Nations climate conference that will take place in December 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark. This conference will make the crucial decision about a second phase of the Kyoto Protocol. Canada must be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Why do we need the KYOTOplus Campaign?

Global warming is an unparalleled and “unequivocal” man-made
environmental crisis. Around the world we are already witnessing
numerous climate change impacts, including ice-loss, drought, flooding,
extreme weather events, and forest fires. In Canada, we have seen the
melting of glaciers, the dramatic loss of sea-ice in the Arctic, loss
of perma-frost, and the destruction of forests by the pine beetle.
Without immediate action, long-term impacts such as rising sea levels
will result in millions of environmental refugees and destruction of
crops will lead to world-wide famine.

It is widely accepted that in order to prevent catastrophically
dangerous climate change, the global average temperature increase above
pre-industrial levels must be kept below 2 degrees Celsius. In order
achieve this, global greenhouse gas emissions must be stabilized and
begin to decline before 2015, and be further reduced to less than 50
per cent of 1990 levels by 2050. This means that developed countries,
including Canada, must reduce emissions 25 to 40 per cent by 2020, and
80 to 95 per cent by 2050.

Visit the web site: http://www.kyotoplus.ca

News release

Federal party leaders sign KYOTOplus pledge

OTTAWA, April 2 2008- Opposition party leaders Stéphane Dion, Gilles Duceppe and Jack Layton signed a pledge to fight climate change. The KYOTOplus pledge is part of a national global warming petition campaign launched today on Parliament Hill by Canadian environmental and public interest organizations. The Prime Minister and Environment Minister John Baird were also invited to sign the pledge, but declined.

“We have only two years to negotiate an agreement to avert a global catastrophe. We can’t leave it up to the government any longer. Canadians want to be leaders not laggards in the fight against global warming,” said Arthur Sandborn of Greenpeace Canada.

KYOTOplus will gather the pledges of citizens and politicians who want Canada to take a leadership role on global warming – both domestically and internationally. It calls on elected Canadian politicians to “work to ensure that Canada honours its Kyoto commitment and sets a national target of cutting its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 25 per cent, relative to
the 1990 level, by 2020.”

“By signing the pledge, the three opposition leaders are the first of what we hope will be a majority of Canadian politicians committing to doing the right thing on climate change. KYOTOplus gives Canadians the opportunity to mobilize and pressure their government to protect our climate,” said Emilie Moorhouse of Sierra Club Canada.

It is widely accepted that in order to prevent catastrophically dangerous climate change, the global average temperature increase above pre-industrial levels must be kept as far below 2 degrees Celsius as possible. This will require a 25 to 40 per cent reduction (from 1990 levels) of greenhouse gas emissions by the world’s developed countries by 2020.

“KYOTOplus is a historic opportunity for Canadians and their leaders to pledge their support for deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions,” said John Bennett of ClimateforChange.ca.

The KYOTOplus campaign calls for action on Canada’s Kyoto commitment and support for crucial U.N. negotiations on a post-Kyoto agreement that will conclude in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December 2009. The KYOTOplus campaign will engage citizens, politicians and civic leaders in all provinces, territories, towns and cities to support the Kyoto process and put an end to global warming.

Canadians can sign on at kyotoplus.ca.