Minister Guilbeault delivers Canada's national statement at COP28

Speaking notes for the
Honourable Steven Guilbeault,  Minister of Environment and Climate Change

December 9, 2023

Location: B8 ? Al Waha Theatre

Check Against Delivery

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Dec. 9, 2023 /CNW/ -

Thank you, Mr. President.

Your Excellencies, I am very pleased to present Canada's ambitions for COP28.

With the adoption of the loss and damage fund for climate-related losses, we are off to an excellent start!

Last summer, the whole planet saw our country burning.

A fire chief in British Columbia told me that he sent his teams facing a life-threatening situation to fight the fire of their lives.

While it's true that we experienced historic forest fires, unfortunately, we can no longer say that these disasters are a new phenomenon.

This isn't new for many people in this room?you've been sounding the alarm for decades.

People outside of these walls are looking at COP28 with both hope and a sense of skepticism.

We hear them!

Colleagues, the Global Stocktake is a call to order.

While recognizing the progress made so far, we must focus our efforts on the challenges ahead.

We also have to get out of our comfort zone and realize that our current actions are insufficient to build a sustainable future.

We know it won't be easy.

Canada is ready to move from words to action.

In the early days of COP28, we announced the world's most ambitious national methane regulations for our oil and gas sector, which will allow us to meet, and likely exceed, our target of at least 75 percent reductions in emissions by 2030.  

On Thursday, we released a cap on all GHG emissions from the oil-and-gas sector?a cap that ensures real reductions down to net zero by 2050.

It is the first emissions cap from a major oil and gas producing nation in the world.

Colleagues, keeping 1.5 °C within reach requires treating nature as our strongest ally. That's why I am proud to say that Canada intends to introduce a federal nature accountability Act in 2024.  

With this Act, we would establish an accountability framework in line with our biodiversity commitments under the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework.

At this COP, let's make climate and nature action mutually reinforcing. 

I am committed to working with all of you to make COP28 about the energy transition, where we agree to the phase out of unabated fossil fuels and put an end to fossil fuels subsidies.

Last summer, Canada became the first G20 country to make good on its commitment to phase out those subsidies, two years ahead of the 2025 deadline.

Our ambition will be measured by the strength of our partnerships and collaboration.

That's why we must increase all sources of financing.

According to the OECD, contributors likely met the 100 billion goal last year, but we must continue to do much more.  

At COP28, let's agree to scale up climate finance from domestic, international, public, and private sources, as we did together last year for the protection of nature at COP15.

2023 has been the hottest in record.

I refuse to believe that our differences are going to close the small window we have to keep 1.5 °C within reach, and to increase resilience and adaptative capacity.

Here, in Dubai, Canada will use every possible opportunity to partner, learn and cooperate to deliver the necessary action to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Thank you.

SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada