Ministers Guilbeault and Wilkinson advance climate action, energy security and environmental protection at G7 Ministerial

From: Environment and Climate Change Canada

BERLIN, Germany, May 27, 2022  /CNW/ -  When it comes to keeping our air clean and protecting our planet, the world can't afford to take a step back. As the G7 Climate, Energy and Environment Ministers Meeting took place in Berlin, Germany this week, the world is under pressure to take urgent climate action in a way that addresses energy security issues and seizes the opportunities of a net-zero economy.

Over three days of meetings with their international counterparts, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, and the Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson championed Canada's international role in tackling climate change, building strong partnerships to advance energy and mineral security, and taking urgent action to protect nature and halt biodiversity loss. G7 countries have reaffirmed and strengthened commitments in these areas in a detailed communiqué.

In particular, Canada pursued and delivered progress on these key priorities:

• Driving ambitious climate action among G7 countries and globally. Following negotiations, all G7 nations made significant new progress on the global phase-out of unabated coal-fired power, and decarbonizing electricity systems by 2035. Ministers Guilbeault and Wilkinson emphasized in particular the importance of a sector-by-sector approach to decarbonization, as Canada has done in its 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan. G7 nations are also now committed to phasing out international financing of fossil fuel projects by the end of this year. This is a commitment that Canada made at COP26 in Glasgow and had since been consistently encouraging other G7 countries to adopt. Canada remains committed to phasing out domestic fossil fuel subsidies by 2023, two years ahead of schedule. And to ensure countries worldwide are resilient to the impacts of climate change, G7 members agreed to double climate financing for adaptation in developing countries, part of the $100 billion commitment of member nations.
• Strengthening clean energy and mineral partnerships with G7 countries. Canada is committed to helping Europe reduce reliance on Russian energy without compromising shared climate and nature commitments. Minister Wilkinson held bilateral discussions with G7 partners on the role Canada can play to support an accelerated transition to clean energy solutions with secure and reliable supply chains, including raw materials and clean hydrogen. G7 members agreed on the importance of partnerships in critical minerals supply chains, including mining, processing, manufacturing and recycling. Canada emphasized the need for clear and consistent policy signals to attract investment, set emissions intensity standards, and drive affordability for the net-zero economy of the future.
• Acting urgently to protect nature and halt biodiversity loss. Canada highlighted its progress on the protection of 30 percent of its lands and waters by 2030, while pushing others to follow suit. Canada also supports the High Ambition Coalition on Biodiversity beyond National Jurisdiction to advance the protection of marine biodiversity. Minister Guilbeault continued to champion a new legally-binding global agreement on plastic waste and shared details of impending regulations to ban harmful single-use plastics in Canada. As a global leader in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards, Canada shared best practices on its approach to sustainable mining and forestry and emphasized the importance of building strong Indigenous partnerships.

Canada's domestic leadership in linking these three priorities?climate action, clean energy and nature protection?and showing concrete action allowed the Ministers to pull forward ambition on global commitments. This will be illustrated by the series of global events at which Canada will participate in the coming months, including the CETA Clean Technology Summit, Convention on Biological Diversity COP15 and the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP27.

Quotes

"Canada's priorities for climate action and nature protection were top of the agenda among our G7 partners. Partners agree that progress is being made, but we each need to accelerate our timelines. The world cannot wait?we must continue to mobilize and deliver action. G7 leaders have clearly said that securing energy security and fighting climate change are mutually reinforcing goals. The commitments we made today put Canada in a strong position to help the world fight climate change, protect nature, and build a strong future for people everywhere."
? The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

"As we move forward to build an economy and a world that are both clean and prosperous, working with international G7 partners on domestic and global climate commitments is key. It will be increasingly important in the future that there is enhanced coordination, and collective action, on energy and resource issues, on the part of all G7 countries. By working together, we can make real progress on clean power, on clean air, and on a clean future. Canada remains steadfast in leading the global energy markets and security to ensure support for the international community."
? The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources 

Quick Facts

• The G7 brings together Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union. The G7 presidency rotates annually between member countries, and sets the agenda for the year in consultation with G7 partners. Germany holds the presidency in 2022. This year Indonesia attended the G7 as the G20 President.
• Canada's 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, a sector-by-sector roadmap to reach 40 percent emission reduction compared to 2005 levels. This plan includes $9.1 billion in new investments and a suite of new measures to help mobilize Canada toward a truly sustainable economy and a leading competitor in the global transition to cleaner industries and technologies.
• Canada is currently developing a Critical Minerals Strategy, which will be released later this year. Budget 2022 put $3.8 billion towards the development of Critical Minerals in Canada. 
• Canada released its federal Hydrogen Strategy in December 2020. Canada is working to develop standards for the carbon intensity of clean hydrogen essential to enabling global trade.
• At the G7, Canada reinforced the need for a transition to clean sources of energy and highlighted its support to developing countries to phase out coal, including $1 billion for the Climate Investment Funds Accelerated Coal Transition initiative.
• Canada joined G7 partners in launching the G7 Hydrogen Action Pact, a group focused on the decarbonization of our economies by building a central role of clean hydrogen and its derivatives such as ammonia for achieving net-zero emissions and an energy secure future.
• Following the G7, Minister Guilbeault is continuing Canada's climate and environment-focused meetings in Europe. From May 30 to 31, he will co-convene the sixth Ministerial on Climate Action (MoCA6) in Stockholm, Sweden, along with his counterparts from China and the European Union. From June 2 to 3, Canada will also participate in the Stockholm+50 conference being convened by the United Nations to recognize fifty years of cooperation within the global environment community.
• The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) entered into force on December 29, 1993. It has three main objectives:
1. The conservation of biological diversity
2. The sustainable use of the components of biological diversity
3. The fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources

Associated links

• Canada's international climate finance
• Paris Agreement
• Convention on Biological Diversity
• 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan: Clean Air, Strong Economy

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SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada