It’s important to pay for our pollution, because there’s no better planet to protect for our kids.

Don’t be duped. That protection took a major blow during this campaign, since all parties backtracked from supporting a consumer price on pollution. 

This makes it more important than ever to ensure big industrial polluters pay for the emissions that put our kids’ futures at risk.

Recent polling shows most Canadians agree.

We should be proud that the ‘axe the tax’ campaign hasn’t dissuaded Canadians from the responsibility they feel to protect our kids from pollution. Most agree that when you make a mess, you clean it up. Politicians who ignore this family value betray our kids, making them pay even more dearly down the road for the messes we leave them.

Fortunately, voters can count on the support of many Canadian business leaders who view industrial carbon pricing as the “most flexible and cost-effective way to incentivize industry to systematically reduce emissions.”

As we ramp up efforts to diversify trade relationships in response to US threats, Canadians should also look to the international community that continues to seek measures to reduce pollution. The European Union already prices pollution, and uses pollution tariffs to protect their high-emitting industries from unfair competition in countries that don’t regulate pollution levels. The United Kingdom is following suit. Retaining the industrial price on pollution will help Canada to increase trade with these partners as we recalibrate our relationship with the US.

This election, let’s remember that paying for pollution is important because we love our kids – and there’s no escaping that our kids’ health and safety are put in jeopardy when we pollute too much. Young people across Canada already report feeling betrayed, abandoned and anxious about our slow response to the escalating climate risks and costs they will inherit. Let’s insist that the leaders of all parties show them that we have their backs.

Industrial carbon pricing is a cornerstone of our efforts to reduce harmful pollution. This single policy reduces more carbon pollution than any other Canadian policy tool. We’ve already made much progress, on the emissions cuts we want to achieve as a country. We should protect these hard-won gains by standing firm now.

Learn more with our Pollution Pricing Toolkit

Gen Squeeze and the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) are teaming up to call on federal leaders to match the climate ambition of Canadians. With your help, we can flood party inboxes with reminders that good ancestors across Canada expect strong climate action.

To all the moms and dads, aunts and uncles, grandparents and more, click here to send a letter demanding climate action to each federal party.

To all the young people who already report feeling betrayed by the climate risks and costs you will inherit, tell party leaders that you expect better here.

If you’re part of an organization concerned with our climate legacy, your group can join our movement by signing up here: Organizational Sign On