London, December 10, 2025
Environmental leader Tzeporah Berman sharply criticizes Canada’s current climate policies, accusing them of insufficient action and complacency with fossil fuel interests, while advancing her global Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty initiative designed to curb fossil fuel production and drive a just energy transition.
Canadian Climate Policy Under Scrutiny
Berman, with over three decades in environmental advocacy, identifies a troubling gap between Canada’s climate rhetoric and tangible measures. She argues that political “realism” often translates to acquiescence, undermining the urgency the climate crisis demands. Her proposed framework for effective policy prioritizes redirecting public funds away from fossil fuels to support electrification, renewable energy infrastructure, and public transit development.
Complementing financial shifts, she calls for stronger legal frameworks that enforce industrial carbon pricing and methane emission standards. Highlighting environmental hazards, Berman points to the unchecked disposal of millions of litres of fracking wastewater into unlined pits across Alberta and British Columbia, advocating for federal bans on toxic substances such as naphthenic acids.
Moreover, Berman stresses the imperative to invest substantially in climate adaptation strategies. These include enhanced forest management to prevent devastating wildfires and establishing cooling centres to mitigate the health risks from extreme heatwaves in populated regions.
The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative
Rejecting incrementalism, Berman has spearheaded the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, an international proposal targeting the supply side of the fossil fuel equation—traditionally overlooked in global climate agreements. The treaty is founded on three pillars: halting new fossil fuel infrastructure and exploration, phasing out existing production in a planned manner, and ensuring an equitable transition for affected workers and communities.
This initiative has garnered broad support from 13 national governments, over 100 municipalities, and thousands of civil society organizations worldwide. Berman contends that without legally binding measures to control fossil fuel supply, demand-side interventions will fall short in preventing the worst outcomes of climate change.
Bridging Advocacy and Policy, Yet Calling for Transformation
Berman’s environmental leadership combines grassroots campaigning with high-level policy negotiation. She has been instrumental in securing protections for more than 40 million hectares of Canadian forests, including landmark agreements such as the Great Bear Rainforest and the Canadian Boreal Forest Initiative. Her work spans advisory roles within provincial and federal governments, demonstrating an ability to navigate complex stakeholder landscapes.
However, she remains critical of prevailing political compromises, cautioning that pragmatic engagement should not substitute for decisive structural action. The climate crisis, she insists, demands more than incremental adjustments from governments and industry alike.
Global leaders, policymakers, and business stakeholders face an urgent challenge to implement robust, legally binding frameworks addressing fossil fuel production. Berman’s treaty proposes a pivotal step toward integrating supply-side controls into international climate efforts, potentially redefining the path toward a sustainable energy future.