POZNAN
-- December 11, 2008 -- The Honourable Jim
Prentice, Minister of the Environment, today
delivered Canada's national statement to
delegates at the United Nations Climate
Change Conference. The 14th meeting of the
Conference of the Parties (COP14) marks
the one-year countdown to an agreed deadline
for international consensus on a new global
climate change agreement.
"Canada believes
that a shared vision for long term cooperation
that places us on the path to a low carbon
future is required. That shared vision must
ensure continued economic growth and sustainable
development while reducing global greenhouse
gas emissions by at least 50% by 2050,"
said Minister Prentice. "Achieving
that balance will require cooperative action
in many areas over the long-term, including
strengthening adaptation, and increasing
global supplies of secure, affordable and
clean energy."
Minister Prentice stressed
that urgent global action on climate change
and the economy is required by all major
emitters to achieve dramatic increases in
energy efficiency, to significantly expand
the use of low-carbon and renewable fuels,
and to encourage the rapid development and
deployment of clean energy technologies.
Minister Prentice also highlighted Canada's
$100 million commitment to help developing
countries address the challenges caused
by climate change.
Working with our provincial
and territorial governments, Canada is committed
to developing and implementing a North America-wide
cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gases.
"Canada is committed
to reducing its total greenhouse gas emissions
by 20% by 2020, while ensuring that our
actions, going forward, are comparable with
those of other developed countries,"
said Minister Prentice. "We will achieve
this goal by implementing ambitious domestic
action."
At home, Canada has
set a goal of meeting 90% of our electricity
needs from non-emitting sources such as
hydro, nuclear, clean coal or wind power
by 2020. We are also working closely with
provincial governments by investing heavily
in clean technologies, including next generation
biofuels and the large-scale commercial
demonstration of carbon capture and storage.
"The responsibility to protect our
climate is ours alone," said Minister
Prentice. "Guided by our shared vision
of a low carbon future, and by working together,
I am confident that we can place our planet
on a new path of sustainability and economic
progress."
Fréderic Baril
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
+ More
Remarks for the Honourable
Jim Prentice
COP 14 National Statement
Poznan, Poland
December 11, 2008
Check against delivery
Thank you Mr. President.
I am pleased to be here
as Canada's Environment Minister. It's been
less than six weeks since I was appointed
by the Right Honourable Stephen Harper,
Prime Minister of Canada.
I am proud to be joined
at this conference by opposition Members
of Canada's Parliament, and by Ministers
from the Yukon and the provincial governments
of Alberta, and Quebec.
And I have had the opportunity
to meet here in Poznan with many young Canadians
and Aboriginal people, who reflect the deep
concern of Canadians about climate change.
Canada, like the rest
of the world, worries about the health of
our planet, and is already living with the
impacts of a changing climate.
We must bring to these
negotiations a sense of urgency and a shared
vision for long-term cooperation that places
us on the path to a low carbon future.
And we must ensure that our vision is informed
by the best science and also by the traditional
knowledge and voices of aboriginal people.
This shared vision must
ensure continued economic growth and sustainable
development while reducing global greenhouse
gas emissions by at least 50 percent by
2050.
Achieving this balance
will require long term cooperative action
in many areas, including strengthening adaptation,
and increasing global supplies of secure,
affordable and clean energy.
Canada has the potential
to make a significant contribution to meeting
this global challenge. For example we have
set ambitious goals for meeting our electricity
needs from non-emitting sources and we are
building partnerships to invest heavily
in other clean technologies, including next
generation biofuels and carbon capture and
storage.
Canada is committed
to reducing its total greenhouse gas emissions,
while ensuring that our actions, going forward,
are comparable with those of other developed
countries.
We intend to forge an
immediate relationship with the new American
administration to address this issue that
straddles our border.
We are committed to
working to develop and implement a North
America-wide cap and trade system for greenhouse
gases.
We believe that effective
global measures regarding climate change
and the economy can only occur with the
commitment and contribution of all major
economies.
In the meantime, we
must increase our support for the poorest
and most vulnerable countries to help them
become more resilient to climate change
and to adapt to its worst effects.
Canada recently announced
100 million dollars in funding to Africa
and small island states to support this
objective.
We must also take concrete
action to ensure that international financial
mechanisms are sufficient to offer these
countries the aid that they so greatly need.
Guided by our shared
vision of a low carbon future, and working
together, I am confident that we can place
our world on a new path of sustainability
and economic progress.
Thank you.
