Houston government falling short on climate change plans

HALIFAX – In the face of the intensifying climate emergency, the Houston government is falling short on climate change action. The NSNDP will be looking for answers on a number of crucial climate change plans at today’s Public Accounts Committee.

“We’ve been told over and over to wait for the plan, but when it comes to the environment there is no time to lose,” said NDP MLA Claudia Chender. “We need a clear path to our targets, otherwise they are just wishful thinking. To manage the impacts of the changing climate we need a clear, ambitious and measurable plan that we can all work together to achieve.”

Our province is already seeing the impact of the changing climate with more severe storms, more frequent floods like those in Antigonish and Sydney, droughts and heatwaves in the southwest, and serious risks to coastal communities and infrastructure from rising sea levels and coastal erosion.

“The effects of climate change are not just on the land and infrastructure of the province, but will also have an impact on people’s physical and mental health,” said NDP MLA Lisa Lachance. “And we need to prepare for climate change’s impact on sectors like fishing, forestry and agriculture, and what that will mean for our local producers and economies.”

The NSNDP is calling for the Houston government’s climate change risk assessment and climate change plan to include bold and innovative plans, a breakdown of the costs of climate mitigation and adaptation, and the cost of inaction.

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