Pembina reacts to Paris Agreement tabled at COP21

PARIS, FRANCE — Erin Flanagan, federal policy director at the Pembina Institute, made the following statement in response to the global climate change agreement adopted today at COP21:

“The Paris agreement marks an important moment in the global transition to a low-carbon economy. The agreement endeavours to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, and supports a global emissions peak and decline by mid-century. These commitments underscore a powerful global transition away from high-carbon fossil fuels.

“Canada was well represented in Paris: our negotiators intervened on numerous occasions to raise the level of ambition within the text, and played a critical role advocating for the inclusion of Indigenous rights in the final agreement. We applaud the constructive efforts of the Hon. Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and the government’s climate negotiations team.

“Canada must now match its international commitments with strong actions at home. It must establish a science-based climate plan that includes minimum standards on carbon pricing and other emissions-reductions policies, and that builds upon existing provincial action. On their own, provincial commitments will not ensure Canada does its fair share to reduce emissions consistent with the science of global warming. It’s essential that the federal government works quickly to establish an ambitious and cohesive national climate plan, with full participation from each province and territory, to catalyze Canada’s transition to a low carbon economy.”

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