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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Toronto, November 17, 2025 – Over 140 recognized Canadian leaders from the business, academic, environmental non-governmental organization (ENGO), and political sectors, have collectively voiced deep concerns regarding the recent federal budget put forward by Finance Minister Mark Carney. These leaders, all of whom are recipients of the prestigious Clean50 Awards, and 70 of their employers are now appealing to members of the Liberal Party’s “Climate Caucus” to utilize their significant parliamentary leverage.
Given the current "every vote matters" dynamic in Parliament, the group is calling on the more environmentally responsible members of the caucus to persuade the Prime Minister and Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne to enact changes to the budget legislation. They argue that the current measures fail to effectively advance the "transformational" and "nation-building" narratives the Liberals have used to describe the transition to a clean economy, and fall short in adequately preparing Canada for its future.
Focusing on the Economic Opportunity of Clean Tech
The group's statement (available upon request) expresses strong concern that the budget misses a critical opportunity to decisively steer the Canadian economy toward the clean economy of the future. They advocate for a stronger governmental focus on the clean technology and climate technology sectors. This market segment is already an estimated $80 billion market, more than twice the size of the forestry, steel, aluminum, and auto manufacturing markets combined, and is forecasted to grow by 300% over the next decade.
The statement specifically urges the Government to avoid overly committing resources to industries projected to stagnate or decline, particularly those that also exacerbate the climate crisis.
Short-Sighted Program Cancellations
The statement also critically describes the abandonment of key environmental initiatives, including Bill C-59 (the anti-greenwashing bill) and the "Two Billion Trees" program, as "short-sighted," particularly at a time when both were poised to begin delivering results.
Gavin Pitchford, Clean50 Executive Director, commented on the significant effort behind the statement: “Over 50 members of the Clean50 contributed directly to drafting this statement, and many others were supportive, though cautious about going on the record.”
Pitchford recounted an interaction with a senior ministerial staffer who defended the budget's climate action merits, yet conceded that several of the group's concerns were valid. The staffer suggested the group should instead focus on comparing the Liberal budget favorably against a potential Conservative alternative.
Expressing frustration with this response, Pitchford offered a pointed analogy: “That’s equivalent to a situation where you have a patient suffering a major heart attack, where any delay is critical, and requiring an ambulance ‘stat’—but in response, the Liberals have canceled the ambulance, and called a cab, while suggesting the Conservatives would make the patient walk.”
A Call for Serious Climate Action
Pitchford further challenged the government's priorities: “What – like what exactly – will it take for Canadian politicians to take the climate issue seriously?” He pointed to the devastating statistic that 8% of Canada’s forests have burnt over the past three years, in many instances with little hope of natural recovery due to seed loss. “Could there be a worse time to cancel a tree planting program?” he asked rhetorically.
He also noted the widespread public support for anti-greenwashing legislation: “93% of Canadians supported the Anti-Greenwashing bill, C-59. The only other thing which Canadians have supported by that margin was preferring the Jays over the Dodgers.”
Pitchford confirmed that the statement was shared with Clean50 members within the Climate Caucus on Sunday, expressing hope that they will use their position to secure critical amendments to the budget before the final vote.
Contact: Gavin Pitchford Executive Director, Clean50 Phone: 774-330-6606 Email: gpitchford@detlamanagement.com
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