Canada’s chief climate boss is vowing to fight to the last to reach an international agreement to phase out fossil fuels and rescue the United Nation’s COP28 global warming summit in Dubai from impending failure.That’s because Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault has personally taken it up himself to continue to “secure ambitious outcomes” to keep the Paris Agreement intact.“Negotiations are still underway around the clock with draft text not meeting expectations, but Canada is working closely with other countries toward an outcome that helps the world keep 1.5C within reach. This is a matter of survival for many,” he said in a daily statement issued by his office each day of the conference.“Ambitious and inclusive progress is the only way to avoid the catastrophic impacts of a warmer world.”.“This is a matter of survival for many,”Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.It comes on the final day of the climate confab, after world leaders failed to agree on wording for a joint communique to either discontinue, or alternatively ‘phase down’ fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas.Diplomats from 200 countries — including Canada — were haggling over the word “reducing” them as opposed to “eliminating” them and sending proceedings into overtime. Instead, it committed "reducing both consumption and production of fossil fuels, in a just, orderly and equitable manner so as to achieve net zero by, before, or around 2050."Very little was mentioned about initiatives specific to Canada, other than his meetings with US climate envoy John Kerry — who put out a joint statement on “renewed Canada-United States commitment on climate and nature ambition.” .A delegation of government representatives from Alberta and Saskatchewan including premiers Danielle Smith and Scott Moe complained they were mostly left in the dark over Guilbeault’s pronouncements to cap methane, emissions from oil and gas and even beef cattle — not to mention Kerry himself who infamously passed gas during a panel discussion on emissions from coal.Guilbeault instead touted initiatives with countries such as Egypt, the Netherlands, Sweden and even the United Kingdom for co-chairing the ‘Powering Past Coal Alliance’ at the summit.That’s despite the fact UK climate change minister Graham Stuart left the conference early after failing to secure agreement on a full fossil fuel phaseout that presumably includes coal.Stuart was ripped in the British press for returning to London at what The Guardian called a “critical point” during the conference.“This is the moment when we need to see bold political commitments to unlock the gridlock on the text,” Greenpeace campaigner Rebecca Newsom told England’s paper of record.“Instead of fleeing Dubai, Stuart should be here to broker the compromises really needed to act upon developing countries’ urgent demands for more public finance to deliver a full fossil fuel phase-out. And he should be making clear that the UK, as a rich historically polluting country, is prepared to lead the way on delivering the renewable transition way from fossil fuels.”For his part, Guilbeault said he would stay until the very “last second of COP28 to secure a hopeful and optimistic outcome that helps us secure a livable and more sustainable future."
Canada’s chief climate boss is vowing to fight to the last to reach an international agreement to phase out fossil fuels and rescue the United Nation’s COP28 global warming summit in Dubai from impending failure.That’s because Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault has personally taken it up himself to continue to “secure ambitious outcomes” to keep the Paris Agreement intact.“Negotiations are still underway around the clock with draft text not meeting expectations, but Canada is working closely with other countries toward an outcome that helps the world keep 1.5C within reach. This is a matter of survival for many,” he said in a daily statement issued by his office each day of the conference.“Ambitious and inclusive progress is the only way to avoid the catastrophic impacts of a warmer world.”.“This is a matter of survival for many,”Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.It comes on the final day of the climate confab, after world leaders failed to agree on wording for a joint communique to either discontinue, or alternatively ‘phase down’ fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas.Diplomats from 200 countries — including Canada — were haggling over the word “reducing” them as opposed to “eliminating” them and sending proceedings into overtime. Instead, it committed "reducing both consumption and production of fossil fuels, in a just, orderly and equitable manner so as to achieve net zero by, before, or around 2050."Very little was mentioned about initiatives specific to Canada, other than his meetings with US climate envoy John Kerry — who put out a joint statement on “renewed Canada-United States commitment on climate and nature ambition.” .A delegation of government representatives from Alberta and Saskatchewan including premiers Danielle Smith and Scott Moe complained they were mostly left in the dark over Guilbeault’s pronouncements to cap methane, emissions from oil and gas and even beef cattle — not to mention Kerry himself who infamously passed gas during a panel discussion on emissions from coal.Guilbeault instead touted initiatives with countries such as Egypt, the Netherlands, Sweden and even the United Kingdom for co-chairing the ‘Powering Past Coal Alliance’ at the summit.That’s despite the fact UK climate change minister Graham Stuart left the conference early after failing to secure agreement on a full fossil fuel phaseout that presumably includes coal.Stuart was ripped in the British press for returning to London at what The Guardian called a “critical point” during the conference.“This is the moment when we need to see bold political commitments to unlock the gridlock on the text,” Greenpeace campaigner Rebecca Newsom told England’s paper of record.“Instead of fleeing Dubai, Stuart should be here to broker the compromises really needed to act upon developing countries’ urgent demands for more public finance to deliver a full fossil fuel phase-out. And he should be making clear that the UK, as a rich historically polluting country, is prepared to lead the way on delivering the renewable transition way from fossil fuels.”For his part, Guilbeault said he would stay until the very “last second of COP28 to secure a hopeful and optimistic outcome that helps us secure a livable and more sustainable future."
