The petition concerns the environmental and climate effects of Canada’s increased presence at Camp Ādaži, Latvia, through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s Enhanced Forward Presence mission. The petition notes that this presence will put pressure on the surrounding waterways and land and claims that satellite imagery of the camp shows a vast destruction of the surrounding forest. The petition questions whether an environmental assessment has been conducted at the camp, whether the Canadian government corresponds with the Latvian government on environmental issues, and whether there are any plans in place to remediate the surrounding land and water. The petition also seeks clarification on the environmental effects of training on the surrounding environment.
The petition is concerned with the increased consumption of fossil fuels from the constant rotation of Canadian soldiers and equipment to and from Camp Ādaži. The petition notes that in 2022 and 2023, Canada increased its personnel and announced the building of new infrastructure on the base, including roads, a warehouse, and a compound. Furthermore, the petition claims that Canada’s Minister of Defence signed a road map agreement with Latvia’s Minister of Defence to scale up the mission to a brigade, with an increase in heavy weapons and military equipment. The petition asks about Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions at the camp, the offset of these emissions, the carbon footprint and environmental effects of Canada’s battle tanks, and the source of National Defence’s energy at the base.