Minister Aglukkaq to lead Canadian delegation at United Nations climate conference in Lima, Peru

News Release

December 4, 2014 – Gatineau, Quebec – Environment Canada

Minister Leona Aglukkaq will lead Canada’s delegation at the 20th Conference of Parties (COP 20) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Lima, Peru, from December 9 to 12, 2014. While in Lima, she will participate in ministerial-level negotiations, engage bilaterally with key countries and organizations, and advance Canada’s priorities on the international stage.

At the conference, Canada will further its key priority of achieving a new international climate agreement in 2015 that includes meaningful commitments from all major emitters. Canada recently demonstrated leadership and its support for the successful adoption of a new international agreement by making a $300-million contribution to the Green Climate Fund, which is aimed at supporting projects, programs, policies and other activities to address climate change in developing countries. This money builds on the $1.2 billion in Fast Start Financing that Canada successfully delivered under the Copenhagen Accord, funding projects focused on climate change adaptation and increasing renewable energy in more than 60 developing countries.

Beyond the UNFCCC, Canada is leading international efforts to tackle short-lived climate pollutants under its Chairmanship of the Arctic Council and as a founding member of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition.

At home, the Government of Canada has taken action to address climate change by regulating two of Canada’s largest sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: the transportation and electricity sectors. To build on this, Canada recently announced its intention to take action on hydrofluorocarbons, which is one of the fastest growing GHGs in the world.

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Quick Facts

Canada’s economy has increased 10.6 per cent, while Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions have decreased by 5.1 per cent between 2005 and 2012.
Canada accounts for less than 2 per cent of global GHG emissions and Canada has one of the cleanest electricity systems in the world—with nearly 80 per cent of our energy coming from non-emitting sources.
In 2012, Canada became the first major coal user to ban the construction of traditional coal-fired electricity generation with the introduction of new regulations for the electricity sector. In the first 21 years, these regulations are expected to result in a cumulative reduction in GHG emissions of about 214 megatonnes, equivalent to removing some 2.6 million personal vehicles from the road per year over this period.
Thanks to federal leadership and the efforts of different levels of government, businesses and consumers, Canada’s total GHG emissions in 2020 are projected to be about 130 megatonnes lower than they would have been if no action were taken to reduce GHGs since 2005.

Quotes

“Our Government has taken action at home to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions while supporting international efforts to address climate change across the world. I look forward to leading Canada’s delegation in Lima and working with our international partners on establishing a fair, effective climate agreement that includes meaningful and transparent commitments from all major emitters.”

– The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment, Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and Minister for the Arctic Council