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Climate Change & the Environment platforms

Here's what the candidates in District 26: Alberton - Bloomfield, and their parties, are promising.

Active transportation

PC

  • Double investment in active transportation paths

Green

  • Invest an additional $3.5M per year on expanding active transportation and trails

    "The province’s Active Transportation Fund is currently at $5 million annually. We plan to increase this to $8.5 million, as well as better integrate active transportation into existing infrastructure programs." — peigreens.ca backgrounder, 2023-03-13

  • Update planning rules to promote more walkable communities
  • Provide programmes to reduce the costs of buying a bike

    "Promote the uptake of cycling through programs that reduce the costs of buying a bike." — 2023 Election Platform, 2023-03-23

We don't have any Liberal policies on Active transportation.
We don't have any NDP policies on Active transportation.

Climate adaptation

PC

  • Expand the Free Heat Pump programme to include homes with up to $100K income
  • Provide a $5M fund to retrofit warming centres to support communities during extreme weather events

    "Launch a $5 million fund for retrofitting warming centres with appropriate equipment and supplies to support communities during weather events" — [With You. For You., 2023-03-24]( — With You. For You., 2023-03-24)

  • Install bi-directional EV chargers in critical infrastructure and warming centres, so EVs can be used to provide power during outages

    "Install bi-directional EV chargers at critical infrastructure locations and warming centres so that electric school buses can be used as generators during power outages" — With You. For You., 2023-03-24

  • Work with the federal government on on-Island power generation and storage

    "• Build electrical grid resilience, in partnership with the federal government, through on-

    Island generation and storage

    • Establish a generation power network to ensure essential services and critical

    infrastructure can continue during significant disruption periods

    • Create a pilot for an on-Island Electrical Generation Project" — With You. For You., 2023-03-24

Green

  • Move development away from flooding- and erosion-prone areas
  • Start a public inquiry into the response to hurricane Fiona

    "Conduct a public inquiry into the response to hurricane Fiona to make sure we are better prepared for the next big storm." — 2023 Election Platform, 2023-03-23

  • Study making Maritime Electric a public utility

Liberal

  • Launch an expert committee to look into Maritime Electric's delays in getting Islanders reconnected to power, and into putting Maritime Electric's assets under public ownership

    "1. Launch an expert committee into the delays of MECL to get Islanders back on-line in a timely fashion as well as issues associated with the current and future capacity of our grid;

    2. Ensure that an expert committee also explores the potential opportunities and challenges of MECL assets going under public ownership to ensure better, more cost-effective service to Islanders" — Healthcare First: An Action Plan for Islanders, 2023-03-22

  • Do advance planning and preparedness for storms

    "Undertaking advance planning and preparedness so that PEI is never caught in the kind of state we were in post Fiona" — [Healthcare First: An Action Plan for Islanders, 2023-03-22]( — Healthcare First: An Action Plan for Islanders, 2023-03-22)

  • Develop an ongoing working relationship between the Armed Forces and provincial and municipal emergency response personnel, with a codified action plan and yearly training exercises, to prepare for future climate-related disasters

    "Developing an ongoing working relationship between the Armed Forces and Provincial and Municipal Emergency Response Personnel and other stakeholders that takes for the form of a codified action plan and yearly training exercises in the event of a climate-related disaster such as Fiona happening again" — Healthcare First: An Action Plan for Islanders, 2023-03-22

  • Dedicate at least 30% of the province's total capital budget to climate mitigation and adaptation

    "Ensuring that the provincial capital budget allocates a minimum of 30% of its total funding to mitigation and adaptation activities to upgrade our infrastructure to both reduce our impact on the climate as well as to prepare for adverse events" — Healthcare First: An Action Plan for Islanders, 2023-03-22

NDP

  • Study converting Maritime Electric and the power grid to public ownership

    "Studying the possibility of converting Maritime Electric and the power grid to public ownership, with the intent of moving towards a 100% Island-sourced renewable energy grid." — NDP Platform 2023, 2023-03-09

  • Invest in burying power lines
  • Dedicate funding and update the Municipal Government Act to allow municipalities to invest in climate infrastructure

    "Empowering municipalities to tackle their climate infrastructure needs with dedicated funding and changes to the Municipal Government Act." — NDP Platform 2023, 2023-03-09

  • Supporting smaller agricultural operations' climate resilience with equipment and tax incentives

Energy generation

PC

  • Work with the federal government on on-Island power generation and storage

    "• Build electrical grid resilience, in partnership with the federal government, through on-

    Island generation and storage

    • Establish a generation power network to ensure essential services and critical

    infrastructure can continue during significant disruption periods

    • Create a pilot for an on-Island Electrical Generation Project" — With You. For You., 2023-03-24

Green

  • Build new wind and solar farms with communities as part-owners

    "Build new wind and solar farms with communities as part-owners, instead of fighting against local municipalities." — 2023 Election Platform, 2023-03-23

  • Buy electricity from West Cape wind farm

    "Buy electricity from the West Cape wind farm, which could immediately double the renewable energy on our grid." — 2023 Election Platform, 2023-03-23

  • Help Islanders install battery storage in their homes

    "Provide help for Islanders wishing to install battery storage in their homes." — 2023 Election Platform, 2023-03-23

  • Install solar panels on government and community buildings
  • Work on more grid-level battery storage

    "Pursue more grid-level battery storage (e.g. Summerside Sunbank)." — [2023 Election Platform, 2023-03-23]( — 2023 Election Platform, 2023-03-23)

  • Start a vehicle-to-grid pilot
  • Work with Atlantic provinces on regional storage and transmission
  • Transition to smart electricity metres

    "Support the transition to smart electricity metres to allow for more efficient use of energy and better integration of distributed generation and storage." — 2023 Election Platform, 2023-03-23

  • End investments in new diesel power plants

Liberal

  • Provide low-interest financing for building community-owned wind farms

    "Encourage the development of community-owned wind farms with the goal of achieving wind generation for 50% of Islanders’ electricity needs through low-interest financing." — Healthcare First: An Action Plan for Islanders, 2023-03-22

  • Consider cooperating with other provinces on power generation

    "Explore regional cooperation to access cleaner sources of energy, including direct negotiation with Newfoundland and Labrador for hydroelectric power" — Healthcare First: An Action Plan for Islanders, 2023-03-22

NDP

  • Move towards a 100% Island-sourced renewable energy grid

    "Studying the possibility of converting Maritime Electric and the power grid to public ownership, with the intent of moving towards a 100% Island-sourced renewable energy grid." — NDP Platform 2023, 2023-03-09

Forests

PC

  • Increase nursery tree production by 30%
  • Implement all recommendations from the Emergency Forestry Task Force

Green

  • Review and strengthen forest management legislation and policies

    "Review and strengthen forest management legislation and policies, with a strong focus on native Acadian species." — 2023 Election Platform, 2023-03-23

  • Include forest protection in land-use planning policies
  • Implement recommendations from t he Emergency Forestry Task Force
  • Invest in training programmes for sustainable forestry practices
  • Incentivise sustainable harvesting

    "Create financial incentives and market opportunities so sustainable harvesting practices are more valuable than clear cutting." — 2023 Election Platform, 2023-03-23

  • Increase supports for property owners to replant non-agricultural fields with native trees

    "Increase supports to small and medium sized property owners to replant non-agricultural fields and open spaces with native trees and shrubs." — 2023 Election Platform, 2023-03-23

  • Create a certification process for local, sustainably harvested wood products

    "Pursue a certification (stamping) process for local, sustainably harvested wood products, so they can be sold by retailers." — 2023 Election Platform, 2023-03-23

  • Support farmers to convert marginal agricultural land into forest and plant hedgerows
We don't have any Liberal policies on Forests.
We don't have any NDP policies on Forests.

Green construction and retrofits

Green

  • Do net-zero retrofits on public housing
  • Expand energy efficiency and retrofit programmes

    "Expand energy efficiency and retrofit programs to reduce energy costs (and emissions) for Islanders." — peigreens.ca backgrounder, 2023-03-10

  • Aggressively pursue energy efficiency, with a net-zero building code by 2030

    " • Continue funding all existing energy efficiency programs. The federal carbon tax backstop will come into effect this year. This will return money directly to Islanders, instead of going to provincial government revenues. We will make sure existing efficiency and climate programs are not cut.

    • Make the building code net-zero by 2030 and provide more help for Islanders to build and renovate to net-zero.

    • Retrofit public housing to net-zero." — 2023 Election Platform, 2023-03-23

  • Extend the Switch programme to all of PEI

    "Extend the Switch program to the entire province (currently only in Stratford and Charlottetown) so that all Island homeowners can benefit from zero- interest loans for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects." — 2023 Election Platform, 2023-03-23

  • Provide free net-zero training for construction workers and contractors
  • Create demonstration projects to show how to convert buildings to net-zero

NDP

  • Start an energy retrofit programme, targeting 3% of buildings per year
  • Require buildings to reach net-zero by 2032, with mandatory energy efficiency disclosure
  • Expand dedicated community college training streams for energy efficiency and renewable workforces
  • Dedicate funding and update the Municipal Government Act to allow municipalities to invest in climate infrastructure

    "Empowering municipalities to tackle their climate infrastructure needs with dedicated funding and changes to the Municipal Government Act." — NDP Platform 2023, 2023-03-09

"Launch an energy retrofit program, targeting 3% of PEI’s buildings per year to save money, cut emissions and create new jobs. This will include a step code for buildings to reach net-zero by 2032 and mandatory building and home energy efficiency disclosure." — NDP Platform 2023, 2023-03-09

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Green tech

PC

  • Create a $50M programme to invest in green technology in PEI

    "Launch a $50 Million dollar Cleantech Energy Program to kick-start the clean tech sector on Prince Edward Island and support the Clean Tech Academy in Georgetown" — peipc.ca, 2023-03-17

  • Support the Clean Tech Academy in Georgetown

Liberal

NDP

  • Immediately create a Green Jobs Task Force

    "Immediately establish a Green Jobs Task Force to guide the transformation of PEI’s economy into a sustainable one, while creating thousands of green jobs. This task force will include representatives from community, labour, business and environmental organizations, Mi’kmaq and Black communities, municipalities, agriculture and fisheries, universities and colleges." — NDP Platform 2023, 2023-03-09

  • Support innovation in renewable energy generation and storage

    "Support innovation in renewable energy generation and storage – creating jobs in wind, solar and other sources of natural power." — NDP Platform 2023, 2023-03-09

Green transportation

PC

  • Switch to 100% electric buses by 2030

Green

  • Create a zero-emission vehicle mandate

    "Increase the supply of electric vehicles on PEI and reduce their cost by creating a zero-emission vehicle mandate (similar to Quebec and BC)." — 2023 Election Platform, 2023-03-23

We don't have any Liberal policies on Green transportation.

NDP

  • Create a network of electric car charging stations

Land

PC

  • Create a 25-year coastal management plan

    "Work with the School of Climate Change and Adaptation to create a 25-year coastal management plan" — With You. For You., 2023-03-24

  • Increase setback requirements in sensitive areas, including shorelines

    "Increase setback requirements in sensitive areas, including shorelines" — With You. For You., 2023-03-24

Green

  • Implement land use planning Island-wide

    "Design planning policies to:

    • Protect the shoreline and coastal ecosystems.
    • Protect and enhance forests, and increase carbon capture.
    • Reduce carbon emissions.
    • Adapt to climate change, erosion, flooding, and storm surges.
    • Protect prime agricultural land and keep it in production.
    • Protect waterways and groundwater.
    • Promote higher density housing and reduce urban sprawl.
    • Increase affordable and accessible housing.
    • Better plan infrastructure to meet the needs of our growing population.
    • Reduce the cost of utilities and improve access to services.
    • Improve public transit and active transportation.
    • Allow Islanders to participate in decisions that affect their community.
    • Integrate Mi’kmaq rights and traditional knowledge into how we manage land."

    peigreens.ca backgrounder, 2023-03-14

    "Currently, land-use planning is only conducted in municipalities that have an official plan (i.e. the larger urban ones). This covers about 10% of the Island land mass. This may increase as the

    Municipal Government Act is fully implemented and all municipalities are required to conduct land-use planning. Even with this, however, close to 70% of the Island (and 30% of the population) is outside of municipalities and will not be covered by municipal planning.

    Land-use planning affects the province’s ability to tackle various challenges, including climate change, infrastructure, agriculture, environmental protection, economic development, housing, and others. The absence of land-use planning in the vast majority of PEI is an underlying cause of many of the challenges facing the province today. Several major reports dating back 50 years, and most recently the 2021 Land Matters report, have all unequivocally said that PEI needs to institute land-use planning Island-wide.

    Staff in the Department of Agriculture and Land said during a Standing Committee hearing last year province-wide this can be done within 2 to 3 years.

    We will also follow the Land Matters recommendation to “immediately implement province-wide interim regulations to further regulate subdivision and development in areas without an official plan until a province-wide land use planning framework is adopted.” — peigreens.ca backgrounder, 2023-03-14

  • Increase the amount of protected natural areas
  • Make land ownership and purchases more transparent

    "In order for Islanders to have confidence that the Lands Protection Act is being properly enforced it is important for land ownership and purchases to be transparent. A Green Government will explore various avenues to increase transparency including:

    ● Releasing the report on the Brendel Farms land purchase.

    ● Giving IRAC the final decision on land purchases, instead of Cabinet, and increasing the transparency of IRAC’s decisions and investigations.

    ● Making the registry of deeds online and searchable.

    ● Introduce a Land Ownership Transparency Act, as was done in British Columbia." — peigreens.ca backgrounder, 2023-03-14

Liberal

  • Establish a permanent, independent land use commission, reporting to the Legislature, with Indigenous and geographic representation

    "1. Establishing a permanent and independent land use commission that reports to the Legislature;

    2. Ensuring the commission would be expert-based with indigenous and geographic representation;

    3. Ensuring the commission has the staffing and resource capabilities to undertake analysis, consultations, and other activities deemed essential to its mandate" — Healthcare First: An Action Plan for Islanders, 2023-03-22

  • Revise the Lands Protection Act to legislate the existence of the new commission

    "Revising the Lands Protection Act and other statutes to define and enshrine the role of the commission" — Healthcare First: An Action Plan for Islanders, 2023-03-22

  • Mandate the commission to make ongoing assessments of current policy to protect land, and recommend new policy approaches

    "Mandate the commission to undertake ongoing assessments of the effectiveness of the current policy and regulatory framework to achieves land protection objectives and, where required, recommend new policy and regulatory approaches." — Healthcare First: An Action Plan for Islanders, 2023-03-22

NDP

  • Ensure meaningful public participation when assessing environmental impacts
  • Amend the Lands Protection Act

    "Work to amend the Lands Protection Act, to protect our natural environment against further questionable commercial encroachment." — NDP Platform 2023, 2023-03-09

  • Renew legislating protecting species at risk, and update the current list of species

    "Renew legislation to protect species at risk, ensuring that the current list of species is complete" — NDP Platform 2023, 2023-03-09

Public transit

PC

  • Invest in an Island-wide transit system
  • Keep fares at $2/trip, and monthly passes at $10-$20

    "Lead the country in low-cost public transit by subsidizing the transit system to $2 per ride or $10 - $20 for a monthly pass" — With You. For You., 2023-03-24

  • Add more routes

"Continue to make investments in the Island-wide transit system, keeping fares at $2 per trip and adding more routes, to make it more affordable to get to and from work." — peipc.ca, 2023-03-17

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Green

  • Add more urban and rural public transit routes
  • Increase the operating grant to the Capital Area public transit system
  • Renew transit subsidies to keep bus fares fares affordable
  • Increase the frequency of buses

NDP

  • Develop a regional and urban public transit network
  • Offer free public transit for people with incomes under $40K
  • Create a province-wide, publicly-owned transit system, run on renewable energy

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions

We don't have any PC policies on Reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
We don't have any Green policies on Reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
We don't have any NDP policies on Reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Waste

PC

  • Create a provincial food waste reduction strategy

Green

  • Advocate for a national right-to-repair strategy

    "Advocate for a national right-to-repair strategy to make repairs easier and more affordable." — 2023 Election Platform, 2023-03-23

  • Review Island Waste Management Corporation recycling and composting processes to reduce emissions and improve customer satisfaction
We don't have any Liberal policies on Waste.
We don't have any NDP policies on Waste.

Water

PC

  • Fund an expansion of the Watershed Alliance Network

    "Increase funding to expand our Watershed Alliance Network to ensure in-shore fisheries are protected, waterways are kept clean, and trees are planted" — With You. For You., 2023-03-24

  • Increase setback requirements in sensitive areas, including shorelines

    "Increase setback requirements in sensitive areas, including shorelines" — With You. For You., 2023-03-24

Green

  • Maintain moratorium on shoreline development, until new protection legislation is in place

    "In response to pressure from the public and in the Legislature, government implemented a partial moratorium on shoreline development. This moratorium applies to work in buffer zones under the but ignores planning approvals (i.e. land use changes and building permits). A Green Government will maintain this moratorium, but will also extend the moratorium to include planning approvals. This will likely be part of the interim planning regulations recommended by the Land Matters report (see above)." — peigreens.ca backgrounder, 2023-03-14

  • Introduce shoreline protection legislation

    "Shoreline protection legislation would be designed through extensive public consultation similar to the development of the Water Act. Some of the objectives for this legislation will be to:

    ● Guarantee and improve public access to beaches for all Islanders

    ● Tightly limit what activities are permitted in buffer zones

    ● Eliminate any grandfathering policies that allow developers to circumvent the normal rules

    ● Better protect delicate coastal ecosystems

    ● Account for increasing erosion and flood risk due to climate change and more severe storms

    ● Create public consultation and participation requirements for coastal developments

    ● Increase penalties for ignoring the rules and require those who do not follow the rules to undo the harm they cause at their own cost." — peigreens.ca backgrounder, 2023-03-14

  • Include protections for shorelines, wetlands, waterways, etc., in land-use planning rules

    "Integrate protection of shorelines, wetlands, waterways, and other sensitive coastal ecosystems in land-use planning rules across the Island." — peigreens.ca backgrounder, 2023-03-14

We don't have any Liberal policies on Water.

NDP

  • Update the Water Act to address agricultural impacts
  • Provide secure funding and technical support for community-based watershed groups
  • Establish a moratorium on offshore drilling
  • Ban high-capacity wells