COP28: Canada Daily Highlights - December 11, 2023

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Dec. 11, 2023 /CNW/ - 

Minister's reflection for today

From left to right: Marie-Philippe Ménard, Assembly of First Nations; Dane de Souza, Métis National Council; Sara Olsvig, Inuit Circumpolar Council; Steven Guilbeault, Government of Canada; and Catherine Stewart, Government of Canada, at COP28 Canada Pavilion (CNW Group/Environment and Climate Change Canada)

"Going into the last days of negotiations at COP28 in Dubai, and the momentum is strong. As co-facilitator on finance with Minister Fouad from Egypt, I have met with all countries to find a path forward. We're close to reaching a strong agreement, and Canada continues to push for language on aligning countries' actions to keep 1.5 °C within reach."
– The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Daily event and announcement summary

• Minister Guilbeault and Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment of the Arab Republic of Egypt, engaged in an armchair discussion on their experiences as co-facilitators of ministerial consultations on the Global Biodiversity Framework at COP15, and on the Means of Implementation at COP28. They discussed how our two nations are working together to fight the triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
• The Minister participated in the closing ceremony of the Canada Pavilion, where he remarked that over the past two weeks, more than 70 sessions were held at the Pavilion—a place to promote Canada's COP28 aspirations and drive global momentum. He highlighted Canada's important partnership with Indigenous peoples and took the opportunity to reflect on the outcomes of COP28 and emphasize the importance of collaboration in addressing climate change.

Quote of the day

"Everything has been about the solutions we bring to this space, everything is about the solutions we bring to climate change, because that's who we are. We have always been the stewards of our lands, we have always been leaders in how we maintain our climate, and I do feel we had that space this year and this is something I hope we can build on next year."
– Dane de Souza, Climate Change and Emergency Management Policy Advisor, Métis National Council

Minister's bilateral meetings

• Minister Guilbeault had a productive meeting with John Kerry, United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. Discussions focused on the status of COP28 negotiations to date, as well as the progress that has been made in relation to financing. Following the meeting, the Parties released a joint statement on Renewed Canada–United States Commitment on Climate and Nature Ambition. Read more about Canada–United States collaboration in the press release.
• The Minister met with Italy's Minister of the Environment, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, and discussed possibilities for cooperation in the coming year during Italy's Presidency of the G7, particularly in relation to plastics management.
• The Minister had a constructive discussion with Simon Watts, New Zealand's Minister of Climate Change and Revenue, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing climate and biodiversity, and areas of cooperation, including agriculture, forestry, and carbon offsets.

Photo of the day

Credit: Environment and Climate Change Canada

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Preview of upcoming events: December 12, 2023

• Closed-door Ministerial meetings focused on negotiations.

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