Yesterday, the Trudeau government joined 130 other countries on the world stage to  ratify the Paris Agreement -- and in doing so, pledge to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

Then, immediately afterwards, the government launched a country-wide public consultation process on a national climate strategy. We know that powerful interests like the fossil fuel industry will be at the government’s doorstep, lobbying for the weakest climate action strategy possible. That’s why it will be up to us to be there, every step of the way, showing up and speaking up for bold climate action that works for people and the planet.

With Justin Trudeau decisively anointed the prime minister-elect by a crimson wave, the country has waived goodbye to 10 years of Conservative majority rule and now has to reckon with the leftovers. The Conservatives have left a completely gutted environmental review process of pipelines and tar sands infrastructure, leaving pipeline projects stuck in review within a National Energy Board process which is fundamentally flawed.  Under a new government there is some reason to be optimistic, though we have our work cut out for us and must remain diligent, in the short and long term, to ensure the Prime Minister is held accountable to his bold and promising campaign declarations.