COP28: Canada Daily Highlights - December 6, 2023

DUBAI, Dec. 6, 2023 /CNW/ -

Daily event and announcement summary 

• In case you missed it, Canada has signed onto the Global Cooling Pledge, which aims to raise ambition and international cooperation to reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency and climate-friendly approaches to cooling, and increase access to sustainable cooling for the vulnerable. Achieving the Pledge targets would cut emissions by approximately 78 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions between 2022 and 2050.
• Minister Guilbeault participated in the event How Canada Can Make Rapid, Tangible Progress on Climate Adaptation, where he engaged in a discussion with British Columbia's Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, municipal officials, and others to advance Canada's climate adaptation efforts, with a focus on actionable strategies aligned with the National Adaptation Strategy.
• Minister Guilbeault attended a Ministerial Meeting on Urbanization and Climate Change, where he reinforced the importance of multi-level climate actions to achieve the targets of the Paris Agreement, highlighting how cities can shape the global climate action agenda, and announced a contribution of $31.5 million for the replenishment of the Multilateral Fund of the Montréal Protocol.
• At the International Emissions Trading Association Pavilion, Ambassador Catherine Stewart spoke about the value and opportunities of carbon pricing to tackle climate change and drive decarbonization.
• Canada, in collaboration with the United Arab Emirates, Japan, and Korea, signed a multi-country Memorandum of Understanding to establish a green shipping corridor connecting Canada's West Coast to Asia and the United Arab Emirates. Read more in the press release.
• Today, Minister Champagne and His Excellency Omar Ahmed Suwaina Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology of the United Arab Emirates, announced the launch of the Cement and Concrete Breakthrough Initiative at COP28 in Dubai. This Initiative reaffirms Canada's commitment to working with countries, businesses, and international partner organizations to accelerate investments in the technologies, tools, and policies that the cement and concrete industry needs to realize net-zero solutions by 2050. Read more in the press release.

Quote of the day

"We support and welcome the launch of the Cement Breakthrough Initiative. Cement and concrete are essential for so much of our modern world and will also be needed for meeting the challenges ahead. They will play a key role in providing resilient and sustainable infrastructure and safely housing communities around our planet. Our member companies, which operate all around the world, are fully committed to a net-zero future?and it will take the combined efforts of industry and government to deliver on this commitment. This is the decade to deliver, and we are delighted to work with the Cement Breakthrough Initiative and the Government of Canada to accelerate the transition."

? Thomas Guillot, Chief Executive of the Global Cement and Concrete Association

Find the quote's origin here.

Minister's bilateral meetings

• Minister Guilbeault met with Judy Wilson, the former Chief of the Neskonlith Indian Band Kukpi7, representing the Assembly of First Nations, along with other Indigenous elders. They discussed climate financing and the challenges Indigenous communities face protecting their land due to climate change.
• The Minister met with Jennifer Morgan, State Secretary and Special Envoy for International Climate Action at the German Foreign Office, to discuss progress to date at the COP on a range of issues.
• Minister Guilbeault met with Liane M. Randolph, Chair of the California Air Resources Board, and discussed a range of issues, including methane, zero-emission vehicles, and the need to reduce carbon emissions in general.
• The Minister met with Andrew Steer, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Bezos Earth Fund, to discuss the work of the Indigenous Guardians Network, and a range of areas of mutual interest related to climate and nature preservation.
• The Minister actively engaged with Indigenous youth, recognizing the pressing impact of climate change on the well-being of young people and emphasized the crucial role of youth action in driving systemic change.

Photo of the day

Credit: Environment and Climate Change Canada

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Preview of upcoming events: December 7, 2023 - Rest Day

• Rest day at COP28. The Canada Pavilion will be closed.

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SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada