Central Executive Committee, 28 September 2021

The Young Communist League of Canada salutes the 112,000 students on strike in Québec and the mobilization across the country for the Global Climate March on September 24. As new heat records are set, extreme weather events multiply, and expert reports sound the alarm for the umpteenth time, we join our voice to that of the youth who are fighting for a livable future.

The last thirty years have demonstrated the total inability of capitalism to curb global warming. Despite these failings, our ruling class continues to talk about carbon taxes and subsidies to “green” companies. The negligible impact of these measures is in no way commensurate with the climate emergency we are experiencing.

Partly because of its oil industry, Canada is one of the world’s largest per capita carbon emitters and is also warming 2.5 times faster than the global average. Indigenous peoples are the first victims, both because of pipelines that endanger their territories and because of climate change that threatens their food security and way of life, especially in coastal areas and in the North.

As young communists, we demand the nationalization and democratic control of energy resources and transportation, in order to immediately begin a full transition to renewable energy, including an immediate halt to oil and gas development in Canada. We demand the recognition of the self-determination of Indigenous nations and free, prior, and informed consent for any development project on their territories.

Abroad, we fight against Canadian imperialism and its harmful effects on the environment. Canadian mining operations in Latin America and Africa are highly polluting and have devastating effects on local populations. These operations are supported by the military-industrial complex, which is a major contributor to global warming: the U.S. military pollutes more than 140 countries, while in Canada, national defence alone accounts for nearly 60% of the federal government’s carbon emissions. A drastic reduction of the military budget is necessary.

It is clear that young people are seriously concerned about climate change and are more ready than ever to mobilize. We understand, however, that individual responsibility will never get us out of the climate crisis alone, and only serves to obscure the responsibility of big business and the state. Our mobilization must aim for public and democratic control of natural resources and the economy.

Our future is at stake. Let us stay mobilized and stay the course toward a just and democratic ecological transition!