Open for signatureElectronice-7656 · Parliament 45

National lithium‑ion battery initiative

Sign on the House of Commons website

Petitioners ask Canada to create a National lithium‑ion battery initiative establishing national incident reporting and research, coordinating safety standards and training with provinces and municipalities, and funding protective equipment and suppression technologies.

Why we would sign this petition

  • Creates national data and research capacity to better understand incidents and inform evidence-based responses, improving firefighter and public safety.
  • Coordinates standards, building codes and training across jurisdictions, reducing inconsistent practices and strengthening frontline preparedness.
  • Funds protective equipment and suppression technologies that could reduce firefighter exposure and lower incidence of reignition and severe incidents.

Why we wouldn’t sign this petition

  • May duplicate existing provincial or municipal programs and add federal bureaucracy without clear roles, wasting resources.
  • No implementation details or measurable targets are specified, so effectiveness and accountability could be limited.
  • Funding this initiative competes with other priorities and may be less effective than targeted product-safety regulations or manufacturer-responsibility measures.

The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.

Official petition

Petition to the Government of Canada Lithium-ion batteries are increasingly used in consumer electronics, e-bikes, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems across Canada; Fire services in major Canadian cities have reported dramatic increases in lithium-ion battery fires, including a more than 500% increase reported by Vancouver Fire Rescue Services since 2016 and a 591% increase reported by Toronto Fire Services between 2020 and 2024; Lithium-ion battery fires can exceed 700°C, release toxic gases, reignite hours or even days after initial suppression, and present unique hazards for fire fighters, first responders, and the public; Canada currently lacks a coordinated national framework for reporting lithium-ion battery fire incidents, conducting research, and developing evidence-based safety standards and response protocols; and A coordinated federal approach, in partnership with provinces, territories, municipalities, fire services, standards organizations, industry, and other stakeholders, would strengthen public safety and better protect fire fighters and first responders. We, the undersigned, Citizens and Residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to create a National Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Safety Initiative that will: 1. Establish a national reporting and data collection system for lithium-ion battery fire incidents; 2. Support research into fire fighter exposure, health risks, and effective fire suppression techniques associated with lithium-ion battery fires; 3. Work with provinces, territories, standards organizations, and fire services to strengthen product safety standards, building codes, and fire fighter training related to lithium-ion battery hazards; and 4. Invest in protective equipment, emerging suppression technologies, and other measures that improve the safety of fire fighters, first responders, and the public.

Government response

No government response is available yet.