Just in time for this podcast, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released another report last week, which was described by UN Secretary-General as “an atlas of human suffering and a damning indictment of failed climate leadership.” So what’s the current provincial government’s record on fighting climate change, and with an election that’s now less than three months away?

The Provincial government under Premier Doug Ford has been very active on the environmental file, from dismantling the province’s clean energy initiatives to MZOs, but is any of that going to matter when it’s time to vote? The provincial response to the COVID-19 pandemic will undoubtedly be *the* issue of the 2022 Provincial Election, but that doesn’t mean that environmental issues should be ignored.

Of course, these issues have been discussed in the media, and among environmental activism groups, not to mention inside the halls of Queen’s Park. The Auditor General reported back in November that in two years the Ontario government had only completed six of 22 recommendations to improve climate outcomes, so if you feel like the Ford government is not committed to fighting climate change, you’re not alone. This week we’re joined by one of the people who’s very concerned about that lack of action.

Keith Brooks, Programs Director for Environmental Defence, will join us to talk about what grade he’s giving the Ford government and whether climate change is going to be a big enough issue in the coming election. He will also talk about the the different topics under the environmental file and where the Ford government is most vulnerable. And finally, he will discuss lessons learned from the pandemic about fighting climate change, and what Environmental Defense will be doing before June 2.

So let’s talk about the Ontario government’s report card on environmental issues in this edition of the Guelph Politicast!

To learn more about Environmental Defence and their various programs and advocacy efforts, you can find them online. To learn more about environmental issues, and their bearing on the upcoming provincial election, Guelph Wellington Coalition for Social Justice will be dedicating one of their Informed Democracy town halls to that topic, and it will be on Wednesday April 20.

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