Winnipeggers rally to call for just transition from reliance on fossil fuels

A group of about 100 people rallied outside the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg on Saturday to call on the federal government to make a major pivot away from fossil fuels.

The Liberal government has pledged to move the country toward a post-carbon economy, and organizers of Saturday's rally want to see a plan to make that happen.

Instead, governments are putting the responsibility for solving the climate crisis on the backs of individuals, said one attendee.

"The evidence that climate change is caused by humans and is causing extreme weather events and other catastrophic results is not deniable, so we need to take action because this is a crisis," said Melanie Dennis Unrau, a volunteer with the Manitoba Energy Justice Coalition.

The group in Winnipeg joined about 40 other communities across Canada to call on Ottawa to act now and create a just transition plan.

The federal government has promised such a transition, saying it will help "workers and communities thrive in a net-zero carbon economy."

Organizers of Saturday's rally say the transition away from fossil fuel reliance should be guided by Indigenous knowledge, climate science and a commitment to leave no one behind.

Sylvie Hébert, a volunteer with the Manitoba Energy Justice Coalition, circulated a petition with several demands of the federal government, including bringing emission levels to 60 per cent or more below 2005 levels by 2030.

Canada's latest targets promise to cut greenhouse gas emissions 40 to 45 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 — an upgrade from its 2015 commitment to reduce emissions 30 per cent.

The petition also says the government must make significant contributions to support emission reductions in countries in the global south, increase taxes on the wealthiest people and corporations, and invest in affordable and accessible public transit countrywide.

Harold Neufeld took part in the rally because he worries his grandchildren's generation will pay the price for the inaction of others.

"We're on a trajectory, I think, that is going to be devastating not only for our human civilization, but for the ecology for our planet," he said.

"I think it's absolutely urgent that we make critical decisions as soon as we can in order to divert our planet and our civilization from disaster."

Dennis Unrau understands that costs are adding up because of the pandemic, but thinks both that and climate change should be tackled at the same time.

Neufeld agrees, and says the costs to deal with the fallout of climate change will only increase.

"We can't escape the fact that sacrifices will have to be made."