jointlettertradeclimate_ministerfreeland-60f4e518c66118e3.pdf

The document argues that Canada's current trade model privileges corporate profits over people and the environment, specifically citing NAFTA's role in exacerbating economic inequality and environmental degradation. The signatories propose a 12-point alternative model for trade negotiations, emphasizing the elimination of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms, the removal of fossil fuel subsidies, and the abolition of energy proportionality rules that hinder Canada's ability to reduce fossil fuel production. They assert that for Canada to be a 'climate champion', its trade agreements must be compatible with the Paris Agreement and the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.

• The signatories argue that the existing trade model is detrimental to economic sustainability, the environment, and human rights, specifically noting that since 1994, NAFTA has contributed to 'environmental degradation', 'economic inequality', and the 'lowering of public interest regulations'.
• To align trade with climate goals, the letter demands the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies and the removal of energy proportionality rules (Articles 605 and 315), which the authors claim 'blocks Canada’s ability to reduce its fossil fuel production to meet its climate commitments'.
• The proposed trade model requires that any new agreement mandates adherence to international commitments, including the Paris Agreement and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), and ensures that labour and environmental standards are enforceable via 'trade sanctions'.
• The letter calls for the removal of mechanisms that prioritize corporate interests over public regulation, specifically demanding the elimination of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) found in NAFTA Chapter 11 and CETA’s Investor Court System.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2018). jointlettertradeclimate_ministerfreeland-60f4e518c66118e3.pdf. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/JointLetterTradeClimate_MinisterFreeland.pdf#new_tab

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. jointlettertradeclimate_ministerfreeland-60f4e518c66118e3.pdf. 2018. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/JointLetterTradeClimate_MinisterFreeland.pdf#new_tab.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=jointlettertradeclimate_ministerfreeland-60f4e518c66118e3.pdf |date=2 May 2018 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/JointLetterTradeClimate_MinisterFreeland.pdf#new_tab |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2018jointlettertradeclimateministerfreeland60f4e518c66118e3pdf, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{jointlettertradeclimate\_ministerfreeland-60f4e518c66118e3.pdf}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2018}, month = may, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/JointLetterTradeClimate_MinisterFreeland.pdf#new_tab}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }