Emissions targets must be flexible, McKenna says
Environment minister claims Canada will not support legally binding reductions
OTTAWA— Canada’s environment minister says she wants world leaders to reach a lasting, but only partially legally binding, agreement to stem global warming at the United Nations climate change conference in Paris next week.
“Canada wants an ambitious and effective global agreement. This means the agreement should be durable and legally binding and it should accommodate different national standards and capabilities,” said Catherine McKenna, the federal minister of environment and climate change. She was speaking to reporters on a conference call Friday afternoon as she prepared to head to the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21).
Upon further examination, however, McKenna clarified this does not mean the Canadian delegation will insist that national targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions set by individual countries at COP21 be legally enforceable in international law.
That is because Canada wants — and its dreams of negotiating carbon-pricing schemes across the land will likely require — the U.S. to be a party to any agreement signed in Paris. However, our largest trading partner has strongly signalled that legally binding emissions-reduction targets are not on the table.
“Everyone wants the United States to be part of this treaty and . . . there are political realities in the United States,” said McKenna. She was referring to the fact that any legally binding climate change treaty in the U.S. would have to be approved by the Republican-controlled Senate, which is essentially a non-starter.
The U.S. has instead favoured a hybrid approach where some provisions of the agreement, particularly those involving transparency and accountability, would be legally binding, whereas the targets themselves would not be.
That has been a sensitive issue in negotiations leading up to COP21, as the European Union has been insisting upon a legally binding treaty. McKenna made it clear Friday Canada will support the U.S. approach.
“We don’t expect the targets will be internationally legally binding,” McKenna said. “However we do support the fact that all parties have the legal obligation to submit a commitment under the agreement and also that the commitment will be updated every five years and, in addition to that, they will have a legal requirement to adhere to provisions with respect to transparency and accountability.”
She also made it clear Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is sticking to his decision to head to COP21 with the pre-existing national target of reducing carbon emissions by 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, which were set by the previous Conservative government.
Trudeau has instead promised to once again gather provincial and territorial premiers together within 90 days of the Paris meeting, to negotiate a national climate change framework. McKenna confirmed Friday that would involve setting a stronger national target.
McKenna said the new Liberal government has not yet figured out the mechanism for enforcing climate change commitments made by the provinces, but said “everything is on the table,” including new standards for housing and vehicle emissions.
While it is asking for more time domestically, Canada stepped up its game internationally Friday by announcing $2.65 billion in additional funding over five years to help developing countries combat climate change.
This money is part of a commitment made in the 2009 Copenhagen Accord to devote an annual $100 billion (U.S.) to these efforts by 2020.
“It represents a doubling of Canada’s previous climate investment,” McKenna said.