Canada's Minister of Environment and Climate Change concludes Canada's participation at COP22 with strong support for a cleaner and greener world

MARRAKECH, Morocco, Nov. 19, 2016 /CNW/ - Canada is committed to working globally to advance the implementation of the Paris Agreement and to continue the momentum on climate action, of the past year. The Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna, has concluded Canada's participation at COP22, in Marrakech, Morocco, demonstrating the country's strong support for international action on clean growth and climate change.

Minister McKenna's focus at the international climate-change conference COP22 was the swift implementation of the Paris Agreement, the development of a global low-carbon economy, and the competitive advantages for business and industry in low-carbon solutions. Minister McKenna also highlighted throughout the week the key role played by all levels of government, as well as businesses, Indigenous peoples, civil society, and youth in addressing climate change.

Canada believes that the private sector will play an important role in bringing about the transition to a stronger, more sustainable economy and creating a better tomorrow for future generations. Canadian businesses are well-positioned to succeed in a global low-carbon economy, creating more well-paying jobs for Canada's middle class while contributing to our progress in addressing climate change.

While in Marrakech, Minister McKenna delivered Canada's national statement, and she participated in several high-level discussions on issues including carbon pricing, clean-technology growth and innovation, gender and climate policy, and health.

Canada also submitted its mid-century strategy to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, making it one of the first countries to do so. The strategy looks beyond 2030 to start a conversation on the ways we can further reduce emissions for a cleaner, more sustainable future by 2050. Several investments were also announced in support of climate efforts and clean-technology deployment in developing countries, as part of the historic $2.65-billion commitment the Government made in Budget 2016.

Quote

"The Government of Canada is committed to finding ambitious solutions to climate change and to create a better future for our children and grandchildren. The global economy has shifted towards cleaner, more sustainable growth, and the momentum is irreversible. Working together, we are setting ourselves on a sustainable and prosperous path for the future."
– Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Quick facts

• Of the 195 countries that signed the Agreement, 109 have already ratified it, bringing it into force years earlier than expected.
• At COP22, Canada announced progress on the delivery of its pledge to provide $2.65 billion over five year, including
  • $1.8 billion in funding for a range of climate-change mitigation and adaptation initiatives to support developing countries transition to low-carbon, sustainable economies,
  • $14 million to reduce short-lived climate pollutants, like methane, through partnerships with Mexico and Chile;
  • $3M contribution and joined the World Bank's Transformative Carbon Asset Facility, which aims to find new ways for developing countries to reduce their emissions and collaborate with partners on clean energy projects like geothermal, solar and wind power, as well as pricing carbon pollution;
  • $2.5 million to the Climate Technology Centre and Network to help developing countries access technologies in sectors such as energy, water, forestry, and agriculture; and
  • $2 million to the National Adaptation Plans Global Network, which helps weave climate change adaptation considerations into developing countries' policy, planning and decision-making.
• Globally, clean-energy investment rose to their highest levels, at $329 billion in 2015.
• The mid-century strategy is a living document and focuses on longer-term mitigation pathways to 2050, starting with a pathway consistent with net emissions falling by at least 80% in 2050 from 2005 level‎s.

Environment and Climate Change Canada's Twitter page

Environment and Natural Resources in Canada's Facebook page

SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada

Caitlin Workman, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, 819-938-9436; Media Relations, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll free)