Today the Calgary Herald published an opinion piece that three retired oil and gas executives and I wrote in advance of the next provincial election. I am reproducing the text of this piece here so I am able to share it on my Facebook Page (which doesn’t allow news stories from Canadian Media to be published).

Opinion Editorial

Another devastating forest fire season is upon us and the eastern U.S. has been sizzling under a record-breaking heat dome. We can no longer ignore that climate change is the cause.

Our climate is warming due to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, and Canadian families are now regularly paying the price: displacement, rising insurance costs, damage to property and, in extreme situations, loss of life. Yet, at the June G7 meeting, world leaders signed the Kananaskis Wildfire Charter without once mentioning climate change.

Meanwhile, Canada has fallen behind in meeting emission-reduction targets under the Paris Agreement — an agreement ratified by 194 countries designed to slow climate change. While the oil and gas industry is a major contributor to Canada’s economy, it accounts for approximately 30 per cent of Canada’s total emissions and is the main reason it is missing its emission targets.

Corporate and political leaders have failed to come together to create a serious plan to reduce emissions from the oil and gas sector, while promoting stability in its workforce and economic prosperity more generally. Entrenched positions and political grandstanding have only resulted in ever-increasing emissions from this sector, while the climate change can gets kicked down the road.

How do we move forward constructively?

First, we must stop the rancorous way we debate the issues. People fleeing forest fires are not interested in the divisiveness and indignation that have characterized past interaction between oil and gas interests, environmental interests, and federal and provincial governments. Instead, honest dialogue and respectful debate will move us toward a shared vision faster than anything else. We need to bring together the best and brightest of all political stripes, Indigenous organizations, the for- and non-profit sectors, levels of government and civil society, all with the capacity to find common ground.

Second, provincial, territorial and federal governments must actively recommit to the targets we set under the Paris Agreement, because without setting the bar for emissions and measuring results, there will be no progress on climate policy. While the political conversation has recently shifted away from climate policy, the context for fruitful dialogue is improving. The long shadow of the United States is fading, giving way to an internal will to diversify our economy in preparation for the global economy of 2050 and beyond.

Now is the time to seize the opportunity to honour our commitments and reinforce ties with the other 192 signatory countries to the Paris Agreement. Many of them not only need our energy but have made substantial progress toward their own emission-reduction targets. For example, by 2023, the U.K., U.S., Denmark and Japan have respectively reduced emissions to 50 per cent, four per cent, 49 per cent and 15 per cent below 1990 levels. Canada’s emissions have increased by 20 per cent from 1990 levels (and that doesn’t include emissions from wildfires).

Third, we must build a sustainable forum that nurtures the creation of a shared vision for national and regional net-zero economies. Last month’s first ministers’ conference was a good start and essential to meet immediate economic threats. But to build the foundation for Canada’s prosperity in the decades ahead is even more crucial.

This is possible if we include an unwavering focus on emissions reduction in the list of Canada’s other sustainable competitive advantages — strong stable governments, judicial, academic and banking institutions, abundant natural resources, a highly educated and skilled workforce, and values that make us an attractive trading partner.

It is time for Prime Minister Mark Carney, Premier Danielle Smith and other elected leaders to convene individuals from all sectors to create a net-zero vision for Canada’s 2050 economy. Let’s drop the tiresome positioning of the past and start real nation-building. Saving our boreal forest, slowing global warming and guaranteeing Canada’s economic prosperity in the decades ahead depends on it.

Jane Savage is a retired Parkland executive and co-founder of Producer Accountability for Carbon Emissions (PACE) 

Janet Selman-Maaten is a retired Imperial Oil employee and member of PACE.

Andrew Weaver is a climate scientist at the University of Victoria and former leader of the BC Green party.

Ross Belot is a retired Imperial Oil employee, environmental writer and adviser to PACE.