Earth Day 2020: Statement from the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson

April 22, 2020 – North Vancouver, British Columbia 

“Today, families across Canada mark Earth Day. Normally, this is a day spent with community members doing such things as participating in park clean-ups, taking group hikes, or planting trees.

“This year, it will clearly need to be different. We must all practise safe physical distancing and ensure we are taking appropriate precautions to keep ourselves and community members safe from COVID-19.

“However, this does not stop us from doing something else that is very important: protecting our environment and continuing to take action against climate change.

“It is in this spirit that I invite all Canadians to observe #EarthDayAtHome. We are all able to take simple yet effective actions in our daily lives, which will help to protect our planet. There are plenty of ideas for inspiration available on the Earth Day Canada website.

“During the ongoing situation with COVID-19, which has impacted us all, it remains important that we reflect upon how we best address climate change.

“The recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change underlines that human activities have already caused one degree Celsius of global warming and that this warming will accelerate. In the absence of concrete, decisive action, the impacts of global warming will be felt around the world.

“We need to act, and actions need to be based on the best available science. Actions need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring we seize the economic opportunities that can be enabled by a transition to a low-carbon future.

“The Government of Canada’s climate change plan contains over 50 different measures to help us accomplish these goals. We are investing in clean energy, building greener communities, expanding public transit, phasing out coal power, introducing new standards so our cars run on cleaner fuels, banning harmful single-use plastics, investing in clean technology, and more. We are also committed to protecting 25 percent of Canada’s land and 25 percent of our oceans by 2025 to preserve our natural legacy for future generations.

“By working together, we can build a clean future for our kids and grandkids. May we mark this Earth Day with a recommitment to this collective goal.”