Justin Trudeau says Canada ‘is back’ at climate-change meeting

Nationalpost.com
Nov. 30, 2015
By Jason Fekete

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says there can be “no laggards” in Canada’s new climate-change strategy and that all Canadians must do more to reduce their carbon footprint, but he won’t say when his government’s new plan will be released.

Trudeau also used the United Nations climate-change conference in Paris to trumpet that there is a historic opportunity to transition to a low-carbon economy.

The prime minister’s commitments to more ambitious greenhouse gas targets and carbon pricing are proving worrisome to Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall, who says the government must tread carefully not to hurt an already battered energy industry.

The prime minister wrapped up a six-day trip overseas Monday by telling global leaders that Canada “is back” on the world stage when it comes to reducing greenhouse gases, and serving notice that all Canadians can expect to do their fair share to help Canada meet its climate-change commitments.

“People want to do more, but they want to know that what they do fits into a bigger picture, because there is no point in bending over backwards if your neighbour or your government is not also doing its part to ensure that we all have the maximal impact together,” Trudeau told reporters at the climate conference. “There can be no laggards in this.”

But the prime minister declined, when asked three separate times Monday, to say when his government’s plan - which is being developed in co-ordination with the provinces – will actually be unveiled.

He noted, however, that some elements of the strategy have already been identified, including an election promise to introduce a $2-billion Low Carbon Economy Trust that will provide funding to projects that “materially reduce carbon emissions” and $20 billion in green infrastructure promised over the next 10 years.

The government will also invest in clean technology and renewables “to make sure we’re as competitive and energy efficient as possible,” he said.

Trudeau has promised he will sit down with the provinces again within 90 days of the climate conference to craft a “pan-Canadian framework” for tackling climate change. The plan will include national emissions-reduction targets and will slap a price on carbon, but also include the flexibility to allow provinces to set their own carbon-pricing policies.

“In the coming 90 days leading up to our next first ministers’ meeting, we will have a lot more work to do, and a lot more to show Canadians that we understand not just the challenge around climate change, but the tremendous opportunity that we have as a country to be a purveyor of solutions that the world desperately needs,” the prime minister said.

Speaking to world leaders during a plenary session, Trudeau said the Paris agreement “should reflect a new reality” that developed nations must help developing countries transition to low-carbon economies.

The 21st United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP21) provides an opportunity for leaders “to overcome old divisions and forge an ambitious, meaningful agreement, and an effective path forward,” he said.

“We have an opportunity to make history in Paris – an agreement that transitions to a low-carbon economy that is necessary for our collective health, security, and prosperity,” Trudeau said in his speech.

“Canada is back, my good friends. We’re here to help. To build an agreement that will do our children and our grandchildren proud.”

Saskatchewan’s Premier Wall, meanwhile, said his province must do more to reduce GHGs because Saskatchewan is a high per-capita emitter, but that Canada’s political leaders must be mindful of the economy when crafting the climate plan.

“The western Canadian economy is under significant stress. Had another sector of Canada’s economy shed 30,000 jobs in two or three quarters, I have a feeling there would have been much greater attention paid to this,” Wall told reporters.

The Liberals have promised to improve upon the former Conservative government’s commitment to reduce Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. That target will act as the “floor” going forward for a new federal plan, Environment Minister Catherine McKenna has promised.

“That’s a bit of a concern,” Wall said.

He also invited the premiers and federal opposition leaders to attend the conference.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair said the government’s change of tone on climate change is welcome, but stressed “we also need a change of content” that includes clear targets and a concrete plan.

Former Liberal governments failed miserably at meeting their Kyoto Protocol targets and the Conservatives were nowhere near on-pace to achieve their targets from the Copenhagen accord, he said.

“For 20 years, Canadians have been promised a lot of things (on climate change),” Mulcair said. “Get it done. Enough talk.”

Trudeau also held bilateral meetings Monday, including his first with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The broader goal of COP21 is to have countries commit to greenhouse gas targets and emissions reductions that will prevent the average global temperature from increasing a potentially devastating two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Governments at the conference are hoping to cap the average temperature increase closer to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

But plans presented for the Paris conference by more than 150 countries would still see the average global temperature increase 2.7 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2100