Minister McKenna advances Canada's climate leadership at Paris One Planet Summit

PARIS, Dec. 12, 2017 /CNW/ - Minister McKenna demonstrated Canada's leadership in tackling climate change and promoting clean growth at the One Planet Summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron today in Paris. The Summit celebrated the two-year anniversary of the signing of the Paris Agreement with new commitments from governments and businesses to fight climate change. Canada played a significant role in helping to secure the Paris Agreement.

Canada and the summit's host, France, announced a Canada-France Climate Partnership to work together to promote the implementation of the Paris Agreement. This partnership will include work to promote carbon pricing, coal phase-out, sustainable development and emission reductions in the marine and aviation sectors.

At the Summit, Minister McKenna also welcomed new members to the Powering Past Coal Alliance. First launched at United Nations climate change conference last month by Canada and the U.K., the Powering Past Coal partners are a diverse range of governments, businesses and international organizations committed to phase out traditional coal power.

Earlier today, Canada and the World Bank Group announced a new commitment to support effective climate action in developing countries in support of the Paris Agreement. Canada and the World Bank Group will support the acceleration of developing countries' transition away from traditional coal-fired electricity, and toward clean energy to power their fast-growing economies. The partnership will also support small island developing states in expanding their renewable energy infrastructure.

Minister McKenna reinforced that Canada's G7 presidency, which begins in January 2018, will form part of the international climate agenda next year and will make climate action and clean growth a priority.

Canada was also selected as one of five countries for a new partnership with the Breakthrough Energy Coalition. Bill Gates, on behalf of the Breakthrough Energy Coalition, announced a set of partnerships with five Mission Innovation member countries to help make a shift to clean energy, and to help more companies move their products out of the lab and into the marketplace.

Canada also signed on to the Declaration on Carbon Markets in the Americas, along with five Canadian provinces, two U.S. states, and Mexico, Costa Rica and Chile. The Declaration commits to strengthening Canada's international and regional cooperation on carbon pricing. Harmonized carbon pricing approaches are efficient and help businesses to remain competitive.

Finally, Minister McKenna highlighted the leading role Canada played in achieving the early ratification of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol last month. Implementing the Kigali Amendment could avoid up to 0.5 degrees Celsius of warming by the end of the century.

Quote

"The Paris Agreement is driving climate action around the world, and Canada is playing a leading role. From carbon pricing partnerships to phasing out coal, the global momentum for climate action is real and growing. Looking ahead, Canada's G7 presidency next year will help advance action against climate change, helping to accelerate global transition to clean growth."

? Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Quick Facts

• According to a 2016 World Bank report, greater cooperation through carbon trading could reduce the cost of achieving national climate mitigation goals under the Paris Agreement by 32% by 2030.
• Recognizing the importance of robust data to support effective carbon markets, last month in Bonn, Canada committed $1.6 million to support the Pacific ?Alliance countries. This investment is being implemented by the International Emissions Trading Association and ClimateCHECK, a Canadian climate and sustainability solutions company.
• In December 2016, the Government of Canada adopted a comprehensive climate plan with the provinces and territories. This plan includes putting a price on carbon pollution of $10 a tonne in 2018, rising to $50 by 2022, a phase-out of coal by 2030 and historic investments in public transit, green infrastructure and clean innovation.
• Canada has pledged $2.65 billion by 2020 to help developing countries in their efforts to mitigate against and adapt to climate change.

Associated Links

• Coal phase-out: the Powering Past Coal Alliance
• Canada and the World Bank Group to support the clean energy transition in developing countries and Small Island Developing States

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SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada