TURIN,
Italy, May 1, 2024 /CNW/ - The Honourable Steven
Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, represented
Canada at this year's Group of
Seven (G7) Ministers' Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment,
which took place in Turin, Italy,
from April 28 to 30.
Working closely with G7 partners to advance key climate,
environment, and biodiversity priorities, Minister Guilbeault
underscored the importance of pursuing the transition toward
cleaner energy in a way that creates economic opportunities while
ensuring a climate-resilient, nature-positive, sustainable energy
future that is affordable and inclusive.
Building on the strong momentum from the 28th United Nations
Climate Change Conference (COP28) in
Dubai, Ministers
agreed to take additional concrete action in the fight against
climate change. In particular, Canada led efforts for the G7 to commit to
phase out existing unabated coal power generation during the first
half of the 2030s, which is the first time the G7 has agreed to
such a time frame. Ministers also agreed to a global goal to
increase energy storage in the power sector to 1,500 gigawatts (GW)
in 2030, a more than six-fold increase from 2022.
Canada also worked hard to
advance the G7 commitment to phase out inefficient fossil fuel
subsidies, with all countries committing to a progress report in
2025, when Canada will have the
Presidency of the G7.
Ministers considered the importance of clean energy and critical
minerals to achieve shared energy security and transition goals.
Canada stressed the importance of
strong market signals and policies that value high environmental
standards and profiled the contribution our critical minerals and
low carbon natural resources can provide to ensure secure supply
chains for clean technologies.
The G7 together condemned Russia's direct attacks on Ukraine's power generation and electricity
grid and committed to help Ukraine
repair and restore its critical energy and environmental
infrastructure.
As the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating
Committee (INC-4) negotiations on an international plastics treaty
are simultaneously wrapping up in Ottawa, Minister Guilbeault worked with G7
countries to build momentum for strong action to curb the plastic
pollution that is affecting our health and that litters the oceans
and environment. G7 leadership will remain critical to pushing for
a legally binding agreement by the end of 2024.
Canada came to the G7 seeking
strong commitments toward the implementation of the
Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework agreed upon at the
15th United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Canada in 2022. In the lead-up to COP16 later this year, Canada sought G7 ambition on the
implementation of the Framework. G7 ministers affirmed their
commitment to identify subsidies harmful to biodiversity by 2025
and reduce them by at least $500
billion per year by 2030.
On climate change and energy transition, Canada:
- Encouraged others to meet their Group of Twenty (G20)
commitment and follow Canada's
early lead on the phase-out of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies by
2025, while also calling for greater collaboration and
transparency.
- Promoted the essential role that carbon pricing plays in
reducing emissions and creating clean growth opportunities.
- Advocated for an approach to G7 climate financing that
mobilizes finance from all sources to support climate action in
developing countries, as all countries look to collectively agree
on a new climate finance goal at COP29.
- Underlined the central role of affordable clean energy to
reduce emissions and enhance energy security.
- Recognized the importance of continuing to invest in clean
technology innovation, including for carbon management, clean
fuels, and nuclear.
- Promoted collaboration in securing clean energy supply chains,
including through the expanded and responsible development of
critical minerals.
On biodiversity loss and pollution, Canada:
- Advocated for strong G7 support for the INC-4 negotiations
hosted by Canada and secured a
strong commitment to work together to, by the end of this year,
land an ambitious and inclusive global agreement to end plastic
pollution.
- Secured a G7 commitment to pursue the swift, full, and
effective implementation of the Kunming-Montréal Global
Biodiversity Framework and to the achievement of each of its goals
and targets, recognizing that global biodiversity action is an
economic imperative, as well as an environmental imperative.
Canada emphasized that
biodiversity action must be undertaken in full partnership with
Indigenous peoples.
- Underscored the key role that the G7 can play in closing the
global biodiversity finance gap of US$700
billion per year by continuing to substantially increase
funding for nature from all sources and taking urgent action to
identify, redirect and eliminate, and phase out or reform subsidies
that are harmful to nature.
- Welcomed the launch a new G7 Water Coalition and endorsed a
declaration on implementing the new Agreement on the Conservation
and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond
National Jurisdiction.
Canada worked hard to ensure G7
commitments will help address the challenges Canadians face today.
These efforts recognize the need to improve economic opportunities
while ensuring a climate-resilient, nature-positive, sustainable
energy future is affordable and inclusive. This will set a solid
foundation on which Canada can
build as it assumes the G7 Presidency in 2025.
Quotes
"Canadians are rising to the challenge and working globally for
urgent, ambitious action. Later is too late. As we look ahead to
meetings of the G20, COP16,
COP29, and the expected conclusion of
negotiations for a new global agreement on plastic pollution later
this year, G7 leadership is critical for accelerating the pace of
action needed to meet our climate, biodiversity, and pollution
goals."
– The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and
Climate Change
"Alongside our G7 partners, Canada is forging a path to spur innovation
and build secure supply chains that achieve our collective goals
for energy security and transition. Canada is taking ambitious action while
positioning itself to be a reliable global supplier of choice for
clean technologies, energy, resources, and critical minerals. The
Government of Canada will continue
to work with global partners, while building a more prosperous and
sustainable future for all Canadians."
– The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and
Natural Resources
Quick facts
- The 2024 G7 Ministers' Meeting on Climate, Energy and
Environment will be followed by the G7 Leaders' Summit, from
June 13 to 15 in Apulia, Italy, which is also expected to have
a significant focus on energy issues, with important linkages to
climate and environment.
- Canada, along with G7
partners, agreed to launch several new initiatives to advance
efforts on key climate and environmental issues:
- An Adaptation Accelerator Hub to coordinate efforts in support
of accelerated adaptation action in developing countries
- A G7 Water Coalition to identify common goals and strategies
and catalyze common ambitions and priorities to contribute to the
global water agenda
- A G7 Hub on Land and Desertification to promote
sustainable land use initiatives in Africa and the Mediterranean basin
- A G7 Declaration on the Agreement on the Conservation and
Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond
National Jurisdiction, which calls for the rapid ratification and
implementation of the treaty and commits to support developing
countries in doing so
- At this G7 meeting, Minister Guilbeault held bilateral meetings
with:
- Selwin Hart, United Nations
Special Adviser and Assistant Secretary-General for Climate
Action
- Gilberto Fratin, Italy's Minister of Environment and Energy
Security
- Mukhtar Babayev, COP29 President and Azerbaijan's Minister of Ecology and Natural
Resources
- Sue Biniaz, United States Principal Deputy Special Envoy
for Climate
- Virginijus Sinkevičius, European Commissioner for the
Environment, Oceans and Fisheries
- Shintaro Ito, Japan's Minister of the Environment
- Marina Silva, Brazil's
Minister of the Environment and Climate Change
- Wopke Hoekstra, European Commissioner for Climate Action
- Dr. Fatih Birol, Executive Director, International Energy
Agency
- Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change
- Minister Ken Saitō, Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and
Industry
- Minister Guilbeault hosted roundtables in Turin with Italian and international
environmental organizations, including ECCO, an independent Italian
climate change think tank, and with key Italian private sector
stakeholders to identify possible new economic opportunities
stemming from the clean energy transition.
- Canada and Italy have committed to establish the
Canada–Italy Roadmap for Enhanced Cooperation that will set out
ambitious, concrete plans to collaborate over the next three to
five years in priority areas, including energy security and the
shift to a sustainable energy future; climate change and
biodiversity; migration; sustainable economic growth; and research
and innovation, including on artificial intelligence.
- Canada hosted the fourth of
five planned sessions of the Intergovernmental Negotiating
Committee INC-4 in Ottawa,
Ontario, from April 23 to 29,
2024. The Committee aims to develop an international legally
binding agreement on plastic pollution by the end of 2024.
- Following the 15th United Nations Biodiversity Conference
(COP15) in Montréal, Quebec, in December
2022, Canada was the first
contributor to the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund with a
$200 million contribution as part of
its commitment to the implementation of the Kunming-Montréal Global
Biodiversity Framework.
- Canada also launched a Nature
Champions Network in August 2023 at
the first-ever Ministerial on Nature hosted in Squamish, British Columbia.
Related products
- G7 Climate, Energy and Environment Ministers' Communiqué
Environment and Climate Change Canada's Twitter page
Environment and Climate Change Canada's Facebook page
SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada