Time for government to take real action on carbon emissions

By Lethbridge Herald on September 20, 2024.

Editor:

The federal government recently announced a plan to reduce carbon emissions by phasing out heating oil in new buildings. While a welcome step, the time for half measures such as these is far behind us. We must decarbonize heating and cooling in every home.

Heat pumps are a proven technology that could cut our emissions while keeping Canadians safe and comfortable. They could replace furnaces that are reliant on heating oil or natural gas and air conditioners that are inefficient and costly. We need a universal program to put one in every home.

It’s time for our leaders to take real action that meets the urgency of the climate catastrophe. Helping homeowners and landlords cut their heating bills while propelling our communities into a clean energy future is a step our governments can take to ensure affordability and sustainability for Canadians. It’s time to ensure we have heat pumps for all, especially those that cannot afford the capital investment up front that will give them lower utility costs for a generation.

Tom Moffatt

Lethbridge