These events disproportionately impact women, 2SLGBTQ people, seniors, Indigenous people, and other marginalized groups with access to fewer resources. The situation is even more dire globally, where women and girls living in low-income countries, who have contributed least to climate change, are among the worst impacted. Meanwhile, the biggest polluting countries and companies continue to make extraordinary wealth.
Canada has set an ambitious agenda for climate action that includes investments in climate adaptation, mitigation, and the energy transition. In 2022, the government released Canada’s first ever National Adaptation Strategy and announced $1.6 billion in new funding commitments to help protect communities against the growing impacts of climate change. At the same time, the government continues to approve and finance fossil fuel infrastructure, and was unwilling to support language calling for the complete phaseout of fossil fuels in the final agreement at COP27. To achieve its climate goals, the government should support and meaningfully engage women and marginalized groups disproportionately affected by climate change, and prioritize people and the planet above the interests of the fossil fuel industry.
