A grave report released yesterday by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change, stressed the limited time we have to mitigate the irrevocable effects of climate change including more investment in public transit says the Amalgamated Transit Union, the largest union representing transit workers in North America.

The report that Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Gutteres called a “code red for humanity,” said that it is now indisputable that human influence has caused unprecedented warming and that the situation is almost certain to worsen for decades to come. Low-lying lands and coastal communities are extremely vulnerable, and oceans could very likely rise as high as two meters.

“This report cements the urgent cries that we have been hearing throughout the past several years for transformative change and a Green New Deal that needs to include things such as heavily expanding and investing in our public transit system and putting forward measures that eases workers into a just transition,” said ATU International President John Costa. “Anything less could be disastrous and leave millions behind in a worst-case scenario.”

“With a potential election looming, the ATU is calling on politicians from all parties in Canada to step up and implement the drastic changes we need to ensure that future generations can lead livable and sustainable lives,” said ATU Canada President John Di Nino.