Oops, we did it again.

Posted on 08. Jun, 2010 by joannadafoe in Canada | View Comments

During this June’s meeting in Bonn, your Canadian tracker is back in Sweden (for mundane things, really, like finishing my undergraduate degree).  I keep on reading Bonn updates to see if our Canadian Delegation decided to put its best position forward.  Maybe, I dared to hope, my role as tracker will become obsolete for Bonn II because of all the major political events since last intersessional like the World’s Peoples Conference on Climate Change and the British Petroleoum Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

But Canada’s jurassic climate policy is triumphant yet still in Bonn.  The Delegation’s stance this June is essentially the exact same as it was in April, and the Fossil Award given to Canada by the Climate Action Network is for essentially the exact same reason:

Canada earns a first place Fossil of the Day for reducing its mitigation commitment after Copenhagen to the same level pledged by the United States of America. This January, Canada scrapped a 2020 target equivalent to 3% below 1990 in favour of one equivalent to 3% above 1990, using the rationale of following the U.S. Canada is endangering progress on post-Copenhagen targets by acting like the 51st U.S. state.

There is much more good news happening back home.  In preparation to host the G8/G20 Summit in Huntsville, the Climate Action Network Canada and the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition are hard at work.  The outcome of the G8/G20 conference will have a strong impact on Canada’s position at the UNFCCC (although the Government seems committed to keeping climate change off the G20 agenda).  So in the name of a little Canadian pride, here are two groups to watch and link up with during this June’s G8/G20 Summit:

G8/G20 Action June 25th-27th

• The Canadian Youth Climate Coalition.  Read about the CYCC’s nation-wide engagement strategy here.  They have all sorts of creative and fun campaigns going on like At the Table (to help Canadians “take their place” alongside world leaders at the G8/G20), the G20 Pledge, or  the G20 Convergence.
• Climate Action Network Canada.  CAN-Canada is the premier source of information and mobilization around all things climate change.  Their website has lots of information about both the UNFCCC and the G20 from a broad range of Canadian NGOs.

Do you know of any other good events to watch back home?  Any ideas on how to make environmental justice and sustainability a priority for the Federal Government?  Any good websites or organizations to check out?  Please add any more info in the comments below!

With love from Lund.

Joanna

Canada dissappoints – earning ‘Fossil of the Day’ award in Bonn

Posted on 08. Jun, 2010 by Joshua Wiese in Canada | View Comments

Apparently Canada is taking this 51st US State thing seriously. After the United States earned the first awarded Fossil of the Day in Bonn late last week, Canada proved a disappointing new trend and followed suit.

Canada earned their Fossil of the Day for reducing its commitment to reduce emissions after Copenhagen to the same level pledged by the US. During the talks in week two (and throughout), Canada defended scrapping a 2020 target equivalent to 3% below 1990 in favour of one equivalent to 3% above 1990 using the rationale of following the US.

According to the Climate Action Network, Canada is endangering progress on post-Copenhagen targets by acting like the 51st U.S. state.

But Canada didn’t stand alone – Saudi Arabia was also awarded a Fossil of the Day honor, taking second place on the podium of shame. They earned the honor for being the only country trying to block a needed discussion on aviation and transport fuels — key to Saudi Arabia’s oil-fueled economy.

Speaking in this morning’s negotiations on Long-term Cooperative Action, Saudi’s asked the Chair not to bring forward any text on reducing emissions from international aviation and shipping fuels – warning her that such discussions on the issues would be futile (alluding to a block of the talks overall).

Here’s video from the awards ceremony:

Performed with it’s usual drama and noise. (via One Climate)

Canada Wins a Fossil

Posted on 11. Apr, 2010 by joannadafoe in Canada, bits | View Comments

Canada won third place for the prestigious Fossil Award in Bonn today. Fossil Awards are given to the most obstructive and unhelpful countries in the UN negotiations.  The slightly sarcastic yet widely known award was presented on the final day of the Bonn intersessional.

The Fossil was awarded to our country for “failing to understand that emissions and not targets are supposed to be reduced.“  When countries submitted their pledges to the Copenhagen Accord in late January, Canada was the only country to lower its targets from the earlier Kyoto Protocol.  As part of its association with the Copenhagen Accord, Canada changed its target and base year to 17% below 2005 levels, the same pledge submitted by the USA.  Canada has therefore gone from a target of 6% below 1990 levels to an increase of 3% above 1990 levels.

If Canada needs to harmonize with another country, it might be more constructive to harmonize with Norway.  At least they have an emission reduction target of 40% below 1990 levels by 2020.