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Yukon Government MLAs Declare Climate Emergency

Friday, 11 October 2019 16:35

Yukon Premier Sandy Silver

Following the Speech from the Throne last week, Yukon MLAs unanimously voted this week in favour of declaring a climate emergency for Yukon.

Members of the Yukon Legislative Assembly have unanimously voted to declare a climate emergency.

Yukon joins the growing list of federal, provincial and municipal governments that have declared climate emergencies in Canada over the last year.

Following up on the Speech from the Throne last week a Liberal government motion recognizing the existence of a climate emergency was amended by NDP Leader Kate White to include the declaration of a climate emergency.

The motion passed unanimously.

Environment Minister Pauline Frost told the house the Yukon government recognizes that climate change has hit the territory hard.

Premier Sandy Silver congratulated fellow MLAs for the unanimous support and encouraged Yukoners to look at the Climate Change survey that will be released soon.

Whitehorse City Council declared a climate emergency last month and the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation in Old Crow made a similar declaration in May, the first community north of the Arctic Circle to do so.

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