OTTAWA — Canada is among 19 countries promising to eliminate greenhouse-gas emissions from some international shipping routes at the COP26 climate talks in Scotland today.
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra also signed Canada on to a zero-emission car accord, an international aviation emissions promise and an agreement to make heavy trucks and buses emission-free in less than two decades.
They are the latest in a long list of new climate promises Canada is making during the critical negotiations, from targeted funds for coral reefs and a promise to halt deforestation to ending international financing for fossil-fuel projects by the end of next year.
Critics say almost all of them have a common theme: they’re mostly talk and not a lot of actual work.
Andrew Dumbrille, the lead specialist on marine shipping and conservation at World Wildlife Fund Canada, says a promise to help create at least six emissions-free shipping corridors within the next three years is a great start but Canada hasn’t said anything about which port will be affected or how.
Catherine Abreu, a member of Canada’s net-zero advisory body and the executive director of Destination Zero, says COP26 has been heavy on big headline-grabbing announcements and light on detail for implementing the promises.