Canada’s Ambassador for Climate Change

The Ambassador for Climate Change is appointed by the Prime Minister through an Order in Council. The appointment is made on the recommendation of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The office is located at Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), and reports functionally to the ECCC Deputy Minister.

The Mandate as outlined in the Order in Council is to:

• coordinate implementation of climate diplomacy;
• provide advice to the Ministers of Environment and Climate Change, Foreign Affairs, International Development, and International Trade;
• lead targeted engagements with key partners;
• represent Canada in international initiatives related to climate change as appropriate;
• collaborate with Canada’s Chief Negotiator for Climate Change to support and advance negotiations objectives;
• develop and manage constructive relationships with key opinion leaders and stakeholders; and;
• undertake outreach activities in order to promote Canada’s clean growth and climate change priorities.

Patricia Fuller was named Canada’s Ambassador for Climate Change on June 5, 2018 for a term of three years. She is the sixth person to occupy the role.

Key priorities over the past year have included:

• outreach in support of a successful outcome at the Conference of Parties 24 (COP 24) on the Paris Rulebook;
• engagements with target governments to advance coal phase out and enlarge the membership of the Powering Past Coal Alliance;
• promotion of Canadian clean technology by leading in trade missions in the US and Asia;
• engagement with developing country governments on Canada’s climate finance commitments;
• representation of Canada in the Global Commission on Adaptation; and
• speaking engagements and roundtables in Canada to increase awareness of Canada’s international work on climate change, and internationally to raise awareness of Canada’s domestic climate change policies.