17 December 2009
Ottawa, Ontario
Prime Minister Stephen Harper will attend the Leaders’ Session of the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Denmark, on December 17-18, 2009.
“This conference is an important milestone in the global fight against climate change,” said Prime Minister Harper. “Canada has been a constructive negotiator throughout this process. We continue to seek strong global action for a new post-2012 agreement that is fair and effective and which includes significant commitments by all major economies.”
Prime Minister Harper reiterated that Canada will continue to support international action to help the poorest and most vulnerable countries adapt to the impacts of a changing climate.
The Harper Government remains committed to contributing to the global effort by taking action to reduce Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent from 2006 levels by 2020 and 60-70 per cent by 2050. The alignment of Canada’s targets with those of the Obama Administration is a critical element of Canada’s overall approach due to the close integration of our economies and our geographic proximity.
Canada has developed policies and measures that will increase energy efficiency, regulate emissions by industry, promote the development of new technologies and introduce renewable sources into our overall energy mix.
COP15 began on December 7 and will conclude with the Leaders’ Session on December 18.
