For Immediate Release

November 30, 2018

Young People Across Canada Occupy MP’s offices to Demand Climate Justice

Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Edmonton, Vancouver, Halifax: Young people across the country today took over Liberal Member of Parliament’s offices. As the United Nations climate negotiations begin on Monday at COP24, Youth Rising, a collective of youth and students who are leading sit-ins today at the offices’ of the Prime Minister, Minister McKenna, Minister Wilson-Raybould, Minister Morneau, Minister Sohi, and MP Fillmore to demand real climate action from the federal government.

Carla Massaro, 24-year-old activist living on unceded kanien'kehá:ka territory in Montreal says: “We are the ones who will pay the greatest price from climate change. Where is the job creation for us? The federal government’s current plan will leave thousands of workers and youth behind. We demand that our government develop a clear and ambitious plan to create one million climate jobs by 2030. It is our futures that are at risk.”

Youth have come forward to their federal ministers with clear demands:

1. Transition to 100% renewable energy by 2030, and create one million climate jobs in the process

2. Meaningfully implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, ;

3. Keep fossil fuels in the ground and align the federal climate plan with the 1.5 degree threshold.

Kenza Vandenbroeck, 21-year-old environmental student living in Toronto, said: “As young people, we are increasingly disappointed with the lack of climate action by the federal government. In the upcoming election, youth voters will be the largest cohort of voters for the first time in history, and we are not afraid to make our votes count.” 

Youth Rising will continue to take action until these demands are brought to the House of Commons, and implemented by the Federal Liberals. 

Youth are taking this action as a moment of solidarity with Indigenous leadership that has consistently led the fight for climate justice. Dale Poulette, concerned father and Mi’kmaq land defender fighting the Alton Gas storage facility: “Our work is to protect everyone, settlers and Indigenous people on Mi’kma’ki from the dangerous substances that Alton Gas wants to place on our historical river. We are protecting the land and water for the next seven generations.”

“Indigenous communities have been leading the fight for climate justice. It is our responsibility as youth of all backgrounds to stand behind Indigenous leadership in the fight for our climate safe future” said Hayley Zacks, 21-year-old student and activist attending Dalhousie University on unceded, unsurrendered Mi’kmaki.

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Youth Rising is a collective of young people from coast to coast who are concerned with how climate change is impacting people around the world, and what it means for our generation and future generations.

To read the full list of demands from Youth Rising: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uxg324qbWZ9LKHqQ0qNytWIa131PKeyFETBWZx6pR-A/edit 

For Photos: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11-AFURYBPwlMGsRU9F-JeXJ-5___nowD?usp=sharing 

Media contacts:

English (Eastern Canada): Hayley Zacks ~ 647-213-6277

English (Western Canada): Avery Shannon ~ 604-441-0693

French: Nathalie Chehab ~ 514-834-4427