Canada shocks COP21 with big new climate goal
Sunday night, Canada surprised a world of nations and negotiators in closed-door climate talks in Paris by endorsing a bolder, more ambitious target for cutting greenhouse gases than the UN climate change summit is officially aiming for.
Canada’s Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna told a stunned crowd that she wants the Paris agreement to restrict planetary warming to just 1.5 Celsius warming —not two degrees. It was the first time she has made such a statement.
In the room was former CBC meteorologist Claire Martin, a Green Party observer at the talks. “I was freaking out,” she said. "I was writing it all down like a nut."
Reading from her notes, Martin reported the minister’s remarks like so: "'We want to send a strong political signal.’ The necessity, that she sees, is one in which we transition sustainably.”
“But she was quite clear —‘I support the goals of 1.5’— and echoed the comments of another party about human rights and indigenous peoples. Canada supports legally binding provisions, and we are committed to following through.”
"She wants a five-year review, and it must be 'ambitious' and 'accountable.'"
"Adaptation is 'incredibly important' and she has full support for the ambitious nature of this agreement," Martin added, about the minister's remarks.
McKenna's office confirms it
Minister McKenna's spokesperson confirmed Monday that she supports "including reference in the Paris Agreement to the recognition of the need to striving to limit global warming to 1.5, as other parties have said."
"Canada wants an agreement that is ambitious and that is signed by the greatest number of countries possible."
And crucially, “the most important thing is that each country should be legally required to submit a target. And to report on progress on that target on a regular basis."
Canada shocks COP21 with big new climate goal | National Observer
Sunday night, Canada surprised a world of nations and negotiators in closed-door climate talks in Paris by endorsing a bolder, more ambitious target for cutting greenhouse gases than the UN climate change summit is officially aiming for.
Canada’s Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna told a stunned crowd that she wants the Paris agreement to restrict planetary warming to just 1.5 Celsius warming —not two degrees. It was the first time she has made such a statement.
In the room was former CBC meteorologist Claire Martin, a Green Party observer at the talks. “I was freaking out,” she said. "I was writing it all down like a nut."
Reading from her notes, Martin reported the minister’s remarks like so: "'We want to send a strong political signal.’ The necessity, that she sees, is one in which we transition sustainably.”
“But she was quite clear —‘I support the goals of 1.5’— and echoed the comments of another party about human rights and indigenous peoples. Canada supports legally binding provisions, and we are committed to following through.”
"She wants a five-year review, and it must be 'ambitious' and 'accountable.'"
"Adaptation is 'incredibly important' and she has full support for the ambitious nature of this agreement," Martin added, about the minister's remarks.
McKenna's office confirms it
Minister McKenna's spokesperson confirmed Monday that she supports "including reference in the Paris Agreement to the recognition of the need to striving to limit global warming to 1.5, as other parties have said."
"Canada wants an agreement that is ambitious and that is signed by the greatest number of countries possible."
And crucially, “the most important thing is that each country should be legally required to submit a target. And to report on progress on that target on a regular basis."
Canada shocks COP21 with big new climate goal | National Observer
