NDP to unveil $15-billion climate plan

The Singh-led New Democrat Party of Canada has pledged to invest $15 billion on a new environment plan to create 300,000 jobs and lead Canada to exceed its current emissions target under the Paris Agreement to combat climate change.

The party’s platform claims that the NDP government in Ottawa would spend billions to curb greenhouse gas emissions while stimulating the economy.

This plan appears to be consistent with Jagmeet Singh’s vision of having a fossil fuel-less Canadian future.

“It becomes more clear each day that the time for talk on climate change and economic inequality is over,” says NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.

“It’s time to act, and it’s time to fight like our future depends on it, because it does.”

The so-called “Power to Change: A new deal for climate action and good jobs” proposes to spend over $6.5 billion on public transit. The plan details the creation of a new “permanent” mechanism for public transit, and a large push for public transportation to be electric by 2030. The NDP also pledge to aid willing cities and provinces to pay to make public transit free, the plan says.

To further incentivize Canadians to purchase greener vehicles, the New Democrats would give rebates of at least $5,000 and waive all federal sales tax when people purchase zero-emission vehicles. This follows in the footsteps of the Liberals plan, which they already implemented this year. The NDP also aims to build charging stations in federal buildings and Canada Post locations, while offering residents up to $600 to install a plug-in charger in their own home.

Meanwhile, the party aims to ensure the Canadian electrical grid and all new buildings will be emission-free by 2030. It would pursue energy-efficient retrofits in all buildings across Canada by 2050, creating a $3-billion “Canadian Climate Bank” to lift low-carbon developments.

The plan also aims to ban all single-use plastics across Canada by 2022, as well as creating an Environmental Bill of Rights to “ensure that all communities can enjoy a guarantee to clean water, land and air.”

The plan totals over $15 billion in the first mandate of the NDP government. Some money would come from cancelling over $3 billion of subsidies currently given to the fossil fuel industry, according to the plan.

The New Democrats are also looking to change the tax system to ensure that “the wealthiest pay their fair share.” This means closing tax loopholes, tackling tax evasion, and tweaking the system to ensure more money is made from the capital gains tax.

The party claims the environment plan would create “at least 300,000 good jobs within a first mandate” and reduce Canada’s emissions to 38 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.