PRESS RELEASES | 2024

Rainbow Lake becomes the first town in Canada to endorse the call for a Plant Based Treaty in response to the climate emergency

Media Contacts:

• Gereen Anderson, Plant Based Treaty Canadian Liaison [email protected]
• Anita Krajnc, global campaign coordinator, [email protected]

Media Files: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1d2MNeuNO68yh2SnxuC07iEhl42JRBB0J

Media Contacts:

• Gereen Anderson, Plant Based Treaty Canadian Liaison, [email protected]
• Anita Krajnc, global campaign coordinator, [email protected] 

Media Files: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1d2MNeuNO68yh2SnxuC07iEhl42JRBB0J

(Tarpon Springs, FL – February 18, 2024) — Rainbow Lake endorsed the Plant Based Treaty, becoming the first town in Canada to join the initiative to tackle greenhouse gas emissions from the food system and attributed deforestation, a key driver of the climate emergency. The proposed treaty is backed by 26 municipal governments worldwide, including Los Angeles, Amsterdam and Edinburgh. 

In a motion endorsing the Plant Based Treaty, the council has agreed to incorporate Plant Based Treaty into their Climate Action Plan. They will put informative posters in their community and would like to see more locally grown fruits and vegetables in community gardens and greenhouses as produce is currently not sold in the town. 

In a statement, Mark Kastiro, Interim Chief Administrative Officer, who introduced Plant Based Treaty to the municipality, said, “The Town of Rainbow Lake is a small northern resource town, committed to making a global difference. We have a number of initiatives focused on reducing our carbon footprint with the goal of being carbon neutral by 2030. Between our geothermal activities and initiatives such as the Plant Based Treaty, our goal is to become the type of community environmentally conscious families can be proud to live in.”

Gereen Anderson, Plant Based Treaty Canada Liaison, said, “We are excited about Canada’s first endorsement coming for a town in Alberta. I plan on visiting the town soon and providing information on how to shift towards climate-friendly plant-based diets and policies.”

Anita Krajnc, global campaign coordinator, said, “We congratulate Rainbow Lake city council for being the first town in Canada to sign the Plant Based Treaty. If a town in northern Alberta can lead the way in climate policy, then the rest of Canadian cities and towns need to follow suit and take action on plant-based food policy and diet change.”

In 2023, wildfires forced the town to evacuate as more than 2,000 hectares of forest burned south of the community.

Home to around 700 residents, Rainbow Lake, a remote town in northwest Alberta, is taking action on fossil fuels. They are set to be the first in Canada to heat and power their community using geothermal renewable energy sources. Rainbow Lake hopes to have the town entirely powered and heated by geothermal energy by 2028. The project will be completed in three phases, including a pilot project, the construction of a geothermal facility, and the design and installation of the infrastructure across town.

Climate campaigners are calling on other towns and cities to follow Rainbow Lake’s lead and help create a national council-led movement calling for a shift towards healthier, more sustainable plant-based diets. More than 1,000 councillors worldwide have signed the Plant Based Treaty, including 33 councillors from 20 towns and cities in Canada.

Background

The Plant Based Treaty is modelled on the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and inspired by treaties that have addressed the threats of ozone layer depletion and nuclear weapons. It has been endorsed by 27 municipalities worldwide, including Los Angeles, Amsterdam and Edinburgh.

Since its launch in August 2021, the initiative has received support from 140,000 individual endorsers, 5 Nobel laureates, IPCC scientists, and more than 3000 groups and businesses, including Odd Burger and chapters of Green Peace and Friends of the Earth.

The Plant Based Treaty has secured high-profile endorsements from celebrities, including Chris Packham and Paul, Mary and Stella McCartney, who issued a written statement calling for politicians to support the Plant-Based Treaty. They said: “We believe in justice for animals, the environment and people. That’s why we support the Plant Based Treaty and urge individuals and governments to sign it.”