Re: 鈥渟a国际传媒 needs its own fossil fuels,鈥� letter, March 28.
I am pleased to be able to reassure the letter-writer that I have been very active on the issue of international aviation and maritime emissions.
In 2015, I pressed at COP21 for these emissions to be included in the Paris Accord. If these emissions were a country, they would place seventh largest in the world as a contributor to global warming. They are not included in the Paris Agreement.
I have met with our prime minister, environment minister and others to press for an international carbon tax to be applied to these emissions to help fund adaptation work in developing countries. I have, thus far, been unable to get our government interested in advancing action on these emissions.
As a promoter of tourism as a vital part of our economy, equal in GDP to the oilsands, I have espoused low-carbon tourism. I spoke to this topic at the January Impact Sustainability Travel and Tourism conference in Victoria. By encouraging Canadians to travel within sa国际传媒, we could reduce global greenhouse-gas emissions in overseas air travel.
More Canadians by far travel overseas than overseas visitors come to sa国际传媒. Since 2003, global tourism by Canadians has risen by 153 per cent to 12.8 million trips. I take my vacations by rail or ferry and highly recommend it. In my lifetime, I will never run out of places I want to reach by low-carbon travel. Exploring sa国际传媒 is the best vacation by far.
Elizabeth May
Member of Parliament
Saanich-Gulf Islands
