On July 14th, a few local climate activists had a meeting with Perth-Wellington Member of Parliament John Nater. In a virtual discussion over Zoom, Mr. Nater was reminded of the need for urgent climate action and encouraged to support a green and just recovery from COVID-19 to create a more resilient future.
MP John Nater (upper right), met with Anne Carbert, Emily Chandler, Rachael Stephan, and Jenn Mezei. Emily Adam appeared by recorded video.
Youth climate activist Emily Adam recorded a video message for Mr. Nater reminding him that we have 10 years to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and that youth are calling for ambitious government action to keep global warming below 1.5°C. Watch her short video below.
In the meeting, the climate advocates emphasized that over 500 organizations nationally have endorsed 6 principles for a just recovery from COVID-19 as part of a worldwide Just Recovery movement. These principles prioritize people and planet as we rebuild from the pandemic:
1. Put people’s health and wellbeing first, no exceptions.
2. Strengthen the social safety net and provide relief directly to people.
3. Prioritize the needs of workers and communities.
4. Build resilience to prevent future crises.
5. Build solidarity and equity across communities, generations, and borders.
6. Uphold Indigenous rights and work in partnership with Indigenous peoples.
The video linked below provides some more detail about these principles. It was put together for our meeting with Mr. Nater by local artist and teacher Jenn Mezei. She used her artwork and Just Recovery campaign art from Corrina Keeling.
Mr. Nater agreed with the just recovery principles in theory and was open to exploring ways to attach climate conditions to stimulus and funding programs. He also agreed to meet again in September or October.
You can find more information about the Just Recovery campaign on the campaign website.
Please add your voice! Let John Nater know that you also want him to take the message of just recovery to Ottawa and work with all members of Parliament to invest in people and planet for a green and equitable future. You can send an email to John.Nater@parl.gc.ca or the David Suzuki Foundation has an email form letter for local MPs. You can also tweet to @JohnNaterMP.