Montreal, Los Angeles, Buenos Aries, Barcelona, Amsterdam and Paris might sound like the itinerary for a dream trip around the world.
But the international cities are the company Port Moody is now keeping after councillors endorsed a call for the creation of a global fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty.
The motion was introduced by Couns. Amy Lubik and Meghan Lahti during the city’s regular public meeting last Tuesday (June 14).
In a report, Lubik and Lahti said continued investments by the Canada and B.C. governments in expanding fossil fuel infrastructure and extraction projects is putting the world at greater risk from the effects of climate change, like extreme weather events.
“These events created billions of dollars in damages to local communities and it is only getting worse,” she explained, believing a worldwide commitment to transition away from dependence on fossil fuels will not only mitigate the impacts of climate change, but could also “potentially lift millions of Canadians out of poverty.”
The initiative for an international fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty began at the 2021 United Nations (UN) General Assembly.
Since then, a letter of support has been signed by more than 2,100 academics, researchers and health professionals.
The treaty’s goals are:
- To end all new exploration and production coal, oil and gas
- To phase out existing production of fossil fuels
- To create a proactive transition plan for workers and communities impacted by the move away from fossil fuels
Force of Nature Alliance, an environmental advocacy group, said in a news release Canada is one of the biggest producers of fossil fuels in the world.
“Canadians have a responsibility and an opportunity to make decisions that can have a direct impact on the overall wellness of the world.”
Lubik called Port Moody’s endorsement of the treaty a step forward in the nation’s responsibility to the world.
“We need to be supporting lower income communities and countries to be more resilient to a changing climate as they face disproportionate impacts,” she said in a statement.
Other Metro Vancouver communities that have endorsed the treaty include:
- Burnaby
- Richmond
- Vancouver
- District of North Vancouver
- District of West Vancouver
