The Auditor General of New Brunswick, Kim MacPherson, has delivered a substantive review of the province’s climate change plan and what is needed to turn policy intentions into on-the-ground work to protect homes and communities from what she says “may be one of the greatest challenges for communities, governments and corporations in the coming decades.”
“New Brunswick’s Auditor General’s report should put wind in the sails of the government’s plans to reduce carbon pollution and make our communities healthy and strong in the face of climate change,” says Lois Corbett, Executive Director of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick.
“She points out, and rightly so, that while the 2016 Climate Change Action Plan lays out a series of 118 actions, we lack an aggressive time table or details on implementation.
She recommends that the government introduce legislation to set its pollution targets into law, similar to that found in British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario, and Nova Scotia.
We couldn’t agree more and might go even a bit further — let’s see the legislation introduced the next time the Legislative Assembly meets, and let’s hope all parties vote for its speedy adoption.
“If we want to catch this boat, the time for the government and NB Power to move is now. Not in 2018. Not ten years from now,” says Corbett.
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The Conservation Council of New Brunswick
Established in 1969, the Conservation Council of New Brunswick has remained the province’s leading public advocate for environmental protection. A member of the UN’s Global 500 Roll of Honour, we work to find practical solutions to help families and citizens, educators, governments and businesses protect the air we breathe, the water we drink, the precious marine ecosystem and the land, including the forest, that support us.
Recommended links
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Read Chapter 3 (on climate change) from Volume I of the 2017 Auditor General’s Report
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Watch CCNB video series: Green Energy: Making Informed Choices
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Check out CCNB’s Climate and Energy Solutions hub
To arrange an interview, contact:
Jon MacNeill, Communications Director | 458-8747 | jon.macneill@conservationcouncil.ca