Ottawa, Ont – Today’s announcement that the Government of Canada will invest $420 million to help Canada’s steel industry move away from fossil fuels and participate in the energy transition is an important one.

As the devastating heat waves and wildfires in the west and north make painfully clear, we need to quickly shift all of our industries away from fossil fuels to renewable energy in order to avoid catastrophic runaway climate change.

We need all hands on deck to drive the rapid, deep and sustained emissions reductions needed to ensure a climate-safe future. Government spending should be directed exclusively towards climate solutions and the energy transition, including renewable energy and energy efficiency.

As the Government of Canada continues to allocate grants for decarbonization, strong climate conditions are critical to ensure this spending doesn’t lock us into continued dependence on fossil fuels.

More information about strong climate conditions can be found here: Climate Conditions on Government Spending Programs 

About ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

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For more information or to arrange and interview please contact: Allen Braude, Environmental Defence, abraude@environmentaldefence.ca