Minister Guilbeault supports advancing climate ambition in NYC

New York City – This summer, many Canadians had to face the harsh realities of a changing climate. Canada is working with international partners to increase ambition on issues relating to climate and biodiversity while making a difference for those impacted both at home and around the world.

Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, accompanied by Catherine Stewart, Canada’s Ambassador for Climate Change, was in New York City this week to attend meetings and events on the margins of the 78th United Nations General Assembly. This included the United Nations Climate Ambition Summit on September 20, where Prime Minister Trudeau was given a speaking opportunity among a limited group of countries to deliver a message on the urgent need for climate action.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Minister Guilbeault joined other international partners in recognizing carbon pollution pricing as a critical policy to accelerate global climate action and decarbonization, and welcomed new members to the Global Carbon Pricing Challenge. Through the Challenge, countries around the world are affirming their commitment to carbon pricing and working together to support developing countries, recognizing the unique challenges they face in addressing climate change.

The Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA), co-chaired by Canada and the United Kingdom, welcomed Colombia and Panama as new members joining the alliance of over 165 countries committed to supporting energy transition and ending their support for unabated coal power. The Minister participated in a high-level roundtable organized by the PPCA, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Mark Carney, in his role as co-chair of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero, to advocate for approaches to accelerate the global phase-out of coal power emissions.

At a high-profile event organized by the Global Methane Hub and Google.org, Canada’s Ambassador for Climate Change announced, on behalf of Minister Guilbeault, that Canada will exceed its target of reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by at least 75 percent from 2012 levels by 2030. Canada also shared an update on the results of consultations on the regulatory framework for oil and gas methane, and outlined current areas under consideration for Canada’s draft oil and gas methane regulations, which will be released in the coming months. To help guide Canada’s next steps in helping others reduce their methane emissions, Canada was announced as one of the champions of the Global Methane Pledge. The champions will help spur global efforts to reduce emissions from key sectors such as agriculture, oil and gas, and waste.

Alongside events, Canada announced $6 million under Canada’s $5.3 billion climate finance commitment to help vulnerable countries with efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change through support for decarbonization, improving food security, and better preparation for extreme weather events.

Minister Guilbeault also took part in consultations to prepare for the upcoming COP28 in Dubai. At the ministerial consultation on the first global stocktake, Minister Guilbeault conveyed his determination to work, alongside Minister Fouad of Egypt, to achieve ambitious outcomes through his role as the recently named co-facilitator on issues of finance and support, also known as means of implementation. In anticipation of COP28, he also engaged in a ministerial consultation on loss and damage, where he worked with his peers to chart a way forward in delivering on the COP27 decision to improve and grow the support available to the most vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.

Minister Guilbeault emphasized the value of youth engagement while in New York City. He spoke with students and faculty at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, where he highlighted how Canada is putting into action the necessary work required to meet the challenges of climate change. He also had the opportunity to hear reflections from members of the Environment and Climate Change Youth Council, who had travelled to New York, and discussed the importance of having young people engaged in helping develop Canadian climate policy.

Minister Guilbeault participated in the high-level event for Nature and People: From Ambition to Action, where he highlighted Canada’s achievements in confronting biodiversity loss. Canada was honoured to welcome the world at the biodiversity COP15 in December 2022, and again this summer for the first-ever Ministerial on Nature. Canada is committed to the implementation of the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework, and was the first contributor to the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund with a $200 million contribution and is pleased to have launched the newly announced Nature Champions Network. The Minister also signaled Canada’s intention to sign the United Nations agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, which Canada contributed to adopt at New York on June 19, 2023.

At the third Ministerial Meeting of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, Minister Guilbeault shared Canada’s ambitious expectations in the work toward a legally binding international agreement on plastic pollution. Canada will welcome the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee session in April 2024 in Ottawa, a pivotal step toward the global agreement to end plastic pollution. Strong action domestically is crucial to support credible action on the world stage. During his time in New York, Minister Guilbeault showed that Canada is engaging with partners and doing what is needed to tackle the triple crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.