Minister Guilbeault completes European climate and environment meetings at UN's Stockholm+50

From: Environment and Climate Change Canada

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, June 3, 2022 /CNW/ - As the world faces the triple threat of biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution, Canada is leading at home and abroad to protect nature, keep our air clean, and build a bright future for people everywhere.

Since signing on to both the historic Paris Agreement and the recent (2021) Glasgow Climate Pact, Canada has strengthened its commitment to fighting climate change both domestically and internationally. Canada reinforced this commitment over the past week in Sweden by hosting the sixth session of the Ministerial on Climate Action (MoCA6) and participating in the UN-led Stockholm+50 events.  

At Stockholm+50, Minister Guilbeault co-chaired a Leadership Dialogue with Gustavo Manrique, Ecuador's Minister of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition, which focused on the urgent need for action to achieve a healthy planet and prosperity for all for the future.

Canada was represented in several other high-level dialogues and Minister Guilbeault invited youth delegates to meet him and share their views directly during a Facebook Live. Including young people from diverse backgrounds in the conversations today empowers them to continue building innovative solutions to fight climate change and biodiversity loss in the years ahead.

While in Stockholm, Canada also signed a memorandum of understanding with India to increase bilateral cooperation on climate action, environmental protection, and conservation, and was proud to join the Champions Group on Adaptation Finance to support the developing world in preparing for and adapting to the impacts of climate change with a call to double adaptation finance. This is closely aligned with Canada's climate finance commitments aimed at mitigation and building resilience to climate change for developing countries.

Together, through multilateral cooperation, we can achieve much more in the next five, ten and fifty years. Canada was proud to be part of Stockholm+50 meetings with the participation, passionate insights and commitment of the entire delegation here in Stockholm.

Quotes

"In the fifty years since the world first gathered in Stockholm to drive progress on protecting the environment, multilateral cooperation has only grown stronger. Climate leaders around the world have made great strides to prevent pollution and protect the environment globally but clearly more action must be taken. Together with our global partners, we can and will achieve much more in the next five, ten and fifty years. We only have one Earth, and it is depending on all of us."
– The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Quick facts

• The 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment spurred the formation of environment ministries and agencies around the world and kick-started a host of new global agreements to collectively protect the environment. It was also where the goals of poverty alleviation and environmental protection became linked, paving the way for the Sustainable Development Goals.
• The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, participated in the Stockholm+50 meetings, which marked 50 years since the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment. Stockholm+50 was an important opportunity to take stock of how far environmental action has come and to renew momentum to accelerate the timeline for concrete action to deliver on commitments to tackle global challenges of environmental protection.
• Canada is proud to have had a role in the UN's history from the start. Canada was instrumental in the formation of the UN's Environment Programme (UNEP) in 1972. Canadian Maurice Strong was the Secretary General of the first United Nations Conference on the Human Environment and then became the first Executive Director of UNEP.
• Another Canadian, the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, served as UNEP's Executive Director between 1992 and 1998. Under her leadership, UNEP enhanced its use of technology to better understand environmental issues. As a former Assistant Deputy Minister of Environment Canada, Elizabeth was responsible for the national weather and atmospheric agency, including negotiating the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
• Canada is co-leading with Germany on the Climate Finance Delivery Plan, which provides clarity on when and how developed countries will meet the $100-billion annual climate finance goal through to 2025.
• Canada continues to support efforts by developing countries to phase out coal. At last year's COP26, the Prime Minister announced that Canada will provide up to $1 billion to the Climate Investment Funds Accelerated Coal Transition Program.
• Canada's new 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan outlines our next steps to deliver clean air, good middle class jobs, and $9.1 billion in new investments to cut pollution and grow the economy.

Associated links

• Champions Group on Adaptation Finance welcomes Canada
• Canada and India sign Memorandum of Understanding to establish stronger cooperation on environmental protection and climate action
• Canada's international climate finance
• Climate Finance Delivery Plan
• 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan: Clean Air, Strong Economy
• Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)

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SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada

Kaitlin Power, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, 819-230-1557, [email protected]; Media Relations, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll-free), [email protected]