Dear Friends,

Climate change is undermining the efforts of women and men to work their way out of poverty. Unless we act quickly, it could roll back years of development and push millions of communities into deeper poverty. 

Please help us encourage Canada to do more to head off such a disaster.

Poor communities around the world are the least responsible for climate change. But they are suffering its greatest effects and are least able to adapt.  Droughts and floods worldwide are having a profound impact on women and men’s ability to grow enough food and drink safe water.  Scientists warn that many more climate-related disasters are expected. The human rights of literally millions are at stake.

Canada has an opportunity to make a difference when the world’s governments meet next week in Poland to work towards a global climate change deal.

With other agencies, Oxfam Canada is collecting signatures on a petition to demonstrate public concern about climate change, and to encourage the government to adopt the policies that scientists recommend to prevent catastrophic changes.

Time is running out. The cost of failing to act now will be much greater later on, not just in terms of dollars, but also lives lost.  Active citizens in poor countries, like many Oxfam partners, are demanding that rich countries do more now.

At the UN negotiations, Canada must lead global efforts to combat climate change by agreeing to cut national carbon emissions first, fastest and furthest.

The financial crisis is no excuse. The global financial crisis challenges all of us, but this challenge is amplified for the millions of women and men without resources, education or a life free of violence. And responding to climate change by investing in green jobs, renewable sources of energy, and clean technology will strengthen our global economy.

Please sign the Kyotoplus Petition, asking the government to:

• honour the Kyoto Accord and
• set a target of cutting Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions by at least 25 per cent (from the 1990 level) by 2020.

Sign our online version of the Kyotoplus petition today!

Sincerely,

Robert Fox
Executive Director
Oxfam Canada