Alternatives North has submitted comments on the territorial government’s draft Climate Change Strategic Framework. The submission contains observations on the shortcomings of the draft strategy, makes recommendations for improvements, and calls for immediate actions.
The submission comments that:
- Climate change and energy policy “silos” are creating confusion and chaos
- The Framework falls far short on addressing a number of specific considerations that we must presume will be addressed in the action plan yet to be developed
- Effective action should be front-end loaded, rather than back-end loaded as indicated in the Framework
- The energy targets are weak
- The framework ignores the carbon price as a source of funding
- Natural Gas is not an option as a pathway to renewable energy
- The GNWT needs to ensure climate change response takes precedence in all GNWT policies and decision making.
The submission also says the GNWT must work promptly deal with two priorities:
- resolve the lack of departmental authority for fulfilling GNWT’s climate change mandate; and
- immediately develop a financial plan to implement the Framework and achieve its goals.
Alternatives North 